Hi! I am Aung Pyi Htun.  I am 20 years old.  I was born and grew up in Yangon, the former capital city of Myanmar.  I graduated from Yangon International School in 2011 and currently studying architecture at Hampshire College, a liberal arts college in the United States.  It was not very common for Burmese students until recently to go to an international school and resume a college education abroad.  My parents, however,have invested a lot on my education (with also a lot of expectations, of course) often telling me it is the only inheritance I could hope from them.

Having spent most of my life in Myanmar, I am very familiar with the needs of the people and the city.It is my hope and my dream to return to my home after my studies in the United States and put what I have learned to use to improve the country.

It was during the midterms at the fall semester of my second year at college when I came across an architectural design competition by the Asian Children’s Mission.  I normally would pass a design challenge because of my demanding college work, especially at a time like the midterms.  Nonetheless, this one was a design challenge for a community development center in Myanmar, and I knew I couldn’t pass this one.  I asked myself, if I miss an opportunity like this one because of my college work, then what am I doing in college?  I realized this was a chance and a first step towards my dream of helping my home country.

I am right now a part of the project, Myanmar Community Development Center.  I am in charge of architectural drawings, designs, and estimating the cost of materials and construction.  I am very fortunate to be a part of this project and be able to help develop my community.