Burmese American Student Organization Secretary, Chocho Stay, Vice President Teresa Bochung, and President Natalie Kyaw pose for a portrait in the College of Engineering on Friday, February 21st, 2020. The club is a way for students of Burmese heritage to interact and connect with a group of people with a shared cultural identity.
Kelsey Harrell, The Daily Iowan
Navigating the education system as a non-native English speaker proved to be a challenge for Burmese student Teresa Bochung. The University of Iowa student spent all of middle school learning how to speak English and eventually developed support groups of friends in high school.
Upon arriving at the UI, however, Bochung soon learned that she did not have similar support groups available to her. With a desire to spark a change, Bochung and a group of friends developed a student organization to help students like herself navigate college.
Feeling like their culture was lacking in representation on the UI campus, three students founded the Burma/Myanmar Student Association this month to create a community of support among Burmese students and educate people about their culture.