AKRON, Ohio — In May, Yun "Mi Mi" Khaing graduated from Kent State University with a degree in marketing, which she completed in just three years. While it's impressive that she graduated in three years, it's even more impressive considering about a decade before, she could barely speak English.
At about 10 years old, Khaing and her family arrived in Northeast Ohio, having spent years at a refugee camp on the border of Thailand. Her parents made the decision to leave their home for the chance of better opportunities and higher education in the United States, Khaing said.
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Born and raised outside Bangkok, she grew up speaking Thai, in addition to Mon due to her parents and Burmese after attending Burmese school. However, when she ultimately landed in Akron, she had only basic English reading and writing skills.
"The [biggest] challenge would be probably the language barrier, of course, because I was [under] pressure a lot," she said. "Like, 'Oh, you are the only one we've got to rely on,' so I have to take the step and learn as fast as I can."
She learned quickly, while adjusting to the culture shock of life in America.
"I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I can't wait to try pizza,'" she recalled of her 10-year-old self. "That's the first thing on my mind when I came to America."
However, Khaing and her family were not alone. They found a cultural community in Akron and utilized the resources provided by Asian Services in Action (ASIA), a health and human services agency serving, supporting, and advocating for the AAPI community. ASIA helps connect families with resources, including legal, financial, and health.
"Her family benefited from our services," former ASIA Executive Director May Chen said, "and we also tried to help her when she needed employment and also when she tried to support her education at Kent State."
Chen is now board president of the Jin Huo Community Senior Center in Akron. She has served as a mentor and supporter for Khaing and her family as they have found their feet.
"She showed me around, and she's like, 'Oh, you should do this. It's good for you,' and she explained to me so many things that I should do and programs I should do," Khaing said of Chen. "She takes me to events and stuff like that, and [she's] like, 'Oh yeah, you need to see this side of the world and it'll be good for you in the future.'"
"We try to include her as family, try to understand where she's coming from, what her needs are, and try to nurture her and foster her," Chen explained. "I know the hardship she endured, but to me, she cultivated determination, resiliency, perseverance that will take her far in life."
Despite the obstacles and her own self doubts, Khaing was determined to succeed, focusing on her schoolwork and getting her way through middle and high school, then on to college.
"I think the big thing is that you have to stand up for yourself and you have to be a leader," Khaing told us. "I think you have to work hard. That's the big thing that got me through all that, so I think working hard is more important than anything else."
Already, Khaing has made a name for herself. She gives back to the community by offering translation services, serving as an interpreter for appointments and helping people understand documents. She's also kept her culture alive by participating in traditional dance performances.
This spring, Khaing was recognized by the Summit County Historical Society, named the 2024 "Woman to Watch."
"Success is seeing other people successful, and so I see that Mi Mi realizes this and she is trying to be a role model to help other kids who may be in the same situation as her family coming here as refugees, immigrants, to also be successful, to make good choices in their life, because she's showing it is possible," Chen said. "I feel that probably is a great legacy that Mi Mi wants to leave, and that is something that I want to leave, because I see the future of ASIA is in the hands of the young people."
After graduation, Khaing made a trip back to her native Thailand, while considering what career path she wants to move forward with. She also says she's considering continuing her education with graduate school.
As she moves forward, she will continue to keep her culture front and center.
"I think it's important because not a lot of people know that we're here and we're such a big community. I think it's good for us to represent our culture and embrace, like, 'Oh, we're here. We're doing all these good things for the community,'" she declared. "I just want to embrace that and bring our culture to here and spread it to the world."