High Level International Executive Shares Advice

Imagine you have earned a scholarship to attend one of the top boarding schools in the world. Imagine you have also earned a scholarship to attend a top US university too, and then on to one of the top MBA programs in the world. Does it get any better than this?

Sometimes things are not quite as simple as they seem. Neither is Pond—the name of the student who experienced this educational journey. Her grit and intelligence will inspire you, and perhaps convince you that in order to rise to the top, you need to be open-minded, kind, and unafraid to face significant challenges.

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1.Can you tell us a little about yourself growing up? You lived in Bangkok and went to primary school there. What were the classes like and how hard was it?

I was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. I grew up in a family of four, my parents and an elder brother. My father was an employee at the Bank of Thailand, while my mother was a housewife. My father decided to move us close to my primary school, so we didn’t have to commute. This made a huge difference in our lives. My brother and I didn’t have to get up at 5 am to go to school like most kids. Due to very bad traffic in Bangkok, many of my friends had to get up before the sunrise and get dressed, eat breakfast and sometimes do their homework in the car. We were lucky to enjoy few more hours sleeping in or going home early to play, while most kids got stuck in the car. I believe those extra few hours each day really put me at an advantage in terms of healthier living and more time for schoolwork.

Bangkok Traffic

Most days of my primary school started at 8 am, where all kids needed to gather in front of the school for our national anthem and Buddhist praying. Throughout the day, we had 5-6 classes, mostly lecture with very little interaction. In each class, there were 50-60 students, in which we spent all year together going through the same classes and activities. We all dressed in uniform, facing the front of the room with a huge blackboard and our teacher lecturing us for 45 minutes to an hour for each class. We did a lot of reciting and practice exercises. There was not much time we got to ask questions or express our thoughts/ opinions on topics we were learning. We mainly just had to memorize what the teachers said and what samples on the practice books showed and that would pretty much guarantee us good grades in school.

As a kid, I didn’t have any other responsibilities besides studying. After school, I sometimes had tutorial sessions (basically teachers who could help me with my homework), swimming or music classes. Normally, it didn’t take me more than a few hours to finish my homework. With great care and help from my dedicated mother, I was able to perform very well in school. I felt like doing well in school was the only way I could show my great appreciation to my parents. I guess that was the main reason why I felt obligated to keep up my performance in school throughout my academic career.

2.At some point you decided to take the exam to become a Thai Scholar. Was this your idea and what went into your thinking to go for this program?

In my life, I had never imagined going abroad at such an early age. When I was a ninth grader, one of my schoolteachers approached me and a group of my friends to go take a national examination on behalf of the school. My teacher believed that having a group of students with cumulative GPA of 3.5 and above to take this exam would most likely bring positive results for the school. With such a short notice, I didn't have time to prepare so much for this 2-day exam. The exam tested general knowledge in math, science, social studies, Thai and English. I thought I didn't have a slight chance to be one of the top 8 scorers among 300 ninth graders with high GPA from all around Thailand.

Surprisingly, a few months later I got a phone call that I was one of eight to go on for an interview at one of the top state enterprises in Thailand (let’s call it ‘Company A’). Given that, I didn't expect to win this scholarship. I was just myself during the interview with the top five executives. Being a talkative girl like I was, the executives liked me and felt like I had the right qualities to survive abroad. As soon as I found out that I was one of the lucky two that got chosen, I told my parents I wanted to go. At that age, getting a scholarship to study abroad from 10th grade to Master’s Degree seemed to be quite a huge accomplishment. I felt like it was an honor and attractive path to take. In addition, I thought it was a great way to help my father to save up to support my future education. Since my father always wanted to send us abroad for a better education, I thought going for a scholarship was the right thing to do for my family and myself. That’s why I went for it, without knowing much about how this decision would change my life. My parents supported my decision, because they said this was my own accomplishment and they should in no way try to block it.

3.You were among the very small group accepted into the relatively new program. You then went off to a boarding school (let’s call it ‘School A’) for 3 years. Can you describe the experience there? Did you have huge culture shock? Was it harder than you thought it would be? What did you like about ‘School A’ (and what would you have changed)?

I have to admit that my first few months at ‘School A’ was a complete nightmare. I woke up every morning, hoping that being at ‘School A’ was just a dream and I would wake up to discover myself back home. But, since it wasn’t a dream, I had to cope with my fear and anxiety in order to survive. Attending the top boarding school in the U.S. while being able to speak only broken English was the toughest thing for me. At ‘School A’, they didn’t have an English as a Second Language program or even any experience of dealing with international students who never attended to international schools in which English was the primary language. I believe I was one of their very first cases. Being as poorly prepared as I was, I still got put in the same classes as other native speakers, including English and another third language class.

There’s no need to explain how lost I was. Every day I woke up knowing very little of what I had to do. I attended a school church with other kids, feeling really awkward. I didn’t understand most of the things people said but pretended to, while choosing to laugh out loud at wrong moments. It was quite embarrassing. I used to go to class in Thailand where there were over 50 kids and we didn’t have to say anything; instead we had only to listen, take notes and multiple-choice exams. At the opposite end of the spectrum, at ‘School A’ I had classes with only 9-10 other friends in which class participation was a must. At the beginning, I hardly understood what teachers said. I believe most teachers knew me as a Thai girl who sat quietly and smiled at all times. How would I be able to participate in class when I didn’t even understand the questions teachers asked? Even though later on, I started to understand, I still didn’t know how I could answer. At that point, I still thought everything in Thai and by the time I formed my answer in my head and arranged how I should answer it properly in English, the class had already moved on to the next topic.

In English class, I went from never finishing a full English book back in Thailand to reading difficult novels and plays like The Great Gatsby, Hamlet. and Macbeth. Not only did I have to read these difficult texts, but I also had to write 5-8 pages English papers to critique them.

One of the most challenging subjects for me was history. I couldn’t understand most of the vocabulary in the textbook. While it took my classmates half an hour to do the reading, it often took me up to three hours to finish mine. This was mostly because I didn’t know most of the words I was reading and had to look them all up in order to comprehend the text. In term of math class, although I knew how to solve a problem, I didn’t know any of the technical terms (i.e. fraction, power, trigonometry). I couldn’t ask or explain my answers to the class. Haha … thinking about it now, I didn’t know how I managed to graduate from high school. I guess the keys were endless hard work and perseverance.

Besides the challenges I faced in class, I also had a very hard time with activities after class. In my life, I had never been an athletic person, but at ‘School A’ every student was required to play sports. For my first term there, I was given an option to choose among field hockey, cross-country or soccer. I didn’t know what two out of these three sports meant. I went for cross-country after I figured out it was just running, but I failed to understand the difference between miles and kilometers and went off at a wrong speed during my first practice. As a result, I got separated from my teammates and got lost in the woods until my coach’s dog found and rescued me?!?!

In winter, I chose to go for ice hockey without knowing how to ice-skate. I ended up skating around a rink while most went for a real game. From choosing a sport without thinking through properly, I spent my first winter wearing a cast from spraining my ankles. In spring, I went for lacrosse. Being fed up with all the running in the fall, I applied to be a goalie. Unfortunately, a goalie was also required to run during a practice and with an even a bigger stick!!! I guess ‘School A’ never had a small Asian girl for a lacrosse goalie before, because my padding was so loose that I got many bruises every day. Sports had never been my strength and it got proven clearly during my time at ‘School A’. My last year was much better because I was able to substitute working on an art project instead of doing sports all three terms … pewwww ?

In terms of socializing, ‘School A’ was the toughest place for me to become friends with someone. I guess it was because I was one of the few students who entered the school during 10th grade, while most of my classmates had been together since 8th and 9th grade. But, the more obvious reason was, because I didn’t speak English well. At the beginning, I barely communicated my points and rarely understood things people were talking about. So I don’t blame any of my classmates who did not wish to hang out with me. Teenage years are tough for everyone, both natives and non-natives. You have to make a good impression to be part of the coolest kid clique or the most popular clique. Everyone was trying so hard to be accepted, so only few were daring enough to associate with a new girl from Thailand who didn’t speak English. I remember trying so hard to blend in. Since I couldn't improve my language fast enough, I was trying to blend in physically. I spent good amount of money on Abercrombie & Fitch, J. Crew and Banana Republic clothes just to look similar to the majority in the school. At ‘School A’, most kids wore the same Abercrombie & Fitch pants and Birkenstock sandals. And for girls, we all had to have Tiffany’s heart necklaces. Believe it or not, I had all of those items but still felt so out of place.

Thinking about my 3 years at ‘School A’ reminded me how difficult my early years in the U.S. were. I still don’t know how I made it through and felt very blessed that I actually did. ‘School A’ was a tough place for everyone, even the coolest kids in class. However, one of the greatest things about ‘School A’ is that after I made it through that experience, I have never been as scared of anything since. ‘School A’ tested my core of how strong I was and how much I would be willing to sacrifice to succeed. It taught me to appreciate my self-worth and my identity. Regardless of all my shortcomings, I came to realize my values and my abilities to make positive differences.

4.Can you describe the support you received from John Rorke and the other people who were involved in making sure you and the other Thai scholars succeeded?

As a Thai Scholar, I was very fortunate to be taken care of and be given advice by a group of experienced advisors. During our first three months in the U.S., we all had to attend an orientation program. We learned how to make daily conversations in English, how to write good English essays, how to score well on TOEFL and SAT, and how to be better adjusted in American culture. Mr. John Rorke and his dedicated team of six teachers helped a group of 60+ Thai Scholars each year, in every step of our adjustment to living in the U.S. They were not only our teachers, but they also became more like our advisors, friends and families during our stay in this foreign country.

Having received an engineering scholarship from ‘Company A’, I started my first year at ‘College A’ in School of Engineering. I took all the requirements as other engineering students took. Although I was able to do quite well in those courses, I didn’t feel that they were aligned with my interest in people and management. With the guidance from ‘Company A’ executives and my interest in general management, I decided to switch from School of Engineering to the College of Arts & Sciences during my second year at ‘College A’. During my second year, I got to explore many more fields of liberal art studies (i.e. Religious studies, English composition, Commercial Law, Psychology, Astronomy, Chinese language) and found most of them very mind-opening and interesting. At that point, I made a decision to be a candidate for the School of Commerce, while trying to do another major in Economics.

Fortunately, I was one of the three hundred students who got accepted to be part of the Commerce School. My two years at the Commerce School was one of the most exciting and demanding times at ‘College A’. I never experienced anything like it. From learning about basic foundation in all business-related subjects to pulling all-nighters with my teammates to come up with an impressive presentation to a company’s CEO, the Commerce School exposed me to the real world of business as well as showed me the importance of teamwork in a working career. Not only did I get to learn from a team of professors who were well-known for their expertise in the fields, but I was able to form a lifelong friendship with my classmates who were ready to work and play hard during our two years together. My Commerce School classmates were very dedicated in their studying and fun to work with. Each of them always had something interesting to say or had a point of view that helped broaden my perspective tremendously. Having an opportunity to work closely with different teammates throughout my two years at the Commerce School was one of the best learning experiences; I wouldn’t want to trade this for anything.

Due to a demanding schedule required by the Commerce School, I had to spend almost every summer taking classes in order to accumulate enough credits to also graduate with an Economics major within four years. Luckily, I had a close group of friends studying with me during the summer time. We had quite a nice time together, going to classes during the day, making dinner together in the evening, or driving to visit nearby towns on weekends. In my four years at ‘College A’, I feel like I was blessed with three totally different experiences, from highly technical learning in the School of Engineering, to highly interactive and hands-on experience in the Commerce School, as well as a broader variety of learning in the College of Arts & Sciences. Along the way, I have collected so much valuable experience and many groups of good friends that I still keep closely in touch even after our 10th year reunion ?

6.Do you have advice for students, either Thai scholars or any international students about how best to ensure success in the US?

I am not sure I am qualified to give advice to others about how to become successful in the U.S. However, from my personal experience and lessons learned, I have now come to believe that being able to enjoy your journey along the way instead of solely focusing on arriving at your final destination will surely make every step of life more fun and memorable. For those who are old enough, you will know that life is so full of the unexpected. What you view as certain today may be something only remotely possible tomorrow. So, for high school students, having your dreamed schools and putting your best efforts to make your dream become reality may be important. But if you cannot get in your dream school, it is definitely not the end of the world. I am sure every college out there has something for you to learn from and many opportunities for you to try out. For me, I believe that success comes from what you actually make out of your experience. Every morning if you get up thinking to yourself that today will be another fine day, you will surely try to make good things out of that day, and over time those ordinary days will become a collectively wonderful experience in your life. My simple definition of success in life is to being able to feel thankful of what you are blessed for every day, to try to make the best out of your ordinary day, to cherish friendships as well as those ups & downs in life that make you who are today, and if possible, to share what you’re blessed with among others around you.

7.How did you change over the course of your time at ‘School A’ and ‘College A’?

I would say that a huge adjustment was required to survive my rough beginning at ‘School A’ . It made me become much stronger and more equipped to face other challenges during my later years in the U.S. At ‘School A’, I learned to take care of myself and grow out of my ‘youngest in the family’ mentality. I became much more independent and self-reliant. I came to accept that it’s okay to be different from the majority and cherish myself as the way I am. With this stronger core, I was able to enter ‘College A’ with less fear and become more daring to try out different things and get to know a vast variety of people. I felt freer at ‘College A’ and felt like there were so many more things for me to explore and learn from. That’s probably why I got to try out many types of learning from different schools, participating in various activities, and making friends with so many interesting people from different backgrounds and beliefs.

8.Did you encounter any stereotypes about people from Thailand or Asian students?

Starting my journey in the U.S. with a very close-knit Caucasian-oriented community like ‘School A’, I believe I had to go through the hardest test as an international student from Thailand. My first day encountering my American roommate was rather shocking but now it seems almost funny now when I think about it. Questions she asked me were: “Is your country one of the British colonies? Are you still riding an elephant to go to school? Let me see your feet – were they binded? Do you have any cars in your town? Wowwww … you guys have McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts too?" I really have to thank my roommate from being honest and so direct in asking me those questions that many people may have for someone from Thailand. Since I got asked one of these early on, I was quite ready to answer any other questions about Thailand during my 9 years in the U.S.

9.Did you have a mentor or a prof who you found helped you to negotiate your academic and social interests?

Throughout my time in the U.S., I were very fortunate to have many mentors, teachers, and professors who had helped me tremendously on my adjustment to living in the U.S. as well as my academic interests. Many were willing to spend their personal time talking to me, guiding me, taking care of me, or even arranging a birthday party for me! I wouldn’t have made it without their wonderful support (including you, Mr. Muth ?) some became good friends over the years and we still keep closely in touch these days.

10.Who did you hang out with?

Throughout my nine years in the U.S., I had several good groups of friends. Despite all the challenges I had at ‘School A’, there I met two of my best friends, and 10 years later, they were my bridesmaids at my wedding here in Bangkok. It’s true like what people said, in the most difficult time, true friendship emerges. At ‘College A’, my friends come from all over the world. A lot of my good friends were the very first people I met in my first year dorm, while many were my teammates and classmates from the Commerce School. My MBA School (let’s call it ‘Grad School A’) doesn’t joke when it claims that the two-year experience there will help you form great friendships with amazing people. During my first year there, I spent five days a week, six to seven hours a day with a group of my 90 section mates. They were and continue to be among the most interesting people I would get to meet in my life; we learned a great deal from each other. In addition to my section mates, there were other 800 peers in the Class of 2008. I was fortunate enough to get to know about one-fourth of them. Many were international students like me and sometimes I couldn’t believe I got to be friend with these top talents from all around the world.

11.After graduating, you returned to Thailand to work for ‘Company A’. Can you describe your return and the work that you did? You certainly worked on some big projects almost as soon as you arrived.

Being viewed as someone who is suitable to deal with people issues, I was assigned to be in HR since the beginning of my career at ‘Company A’ until these very days. As the only scholarship student in this field, I was assigned to be part of many interesting projects, working closely with the company executives and talents. My role in most projects was to come up with a strategic plan for people management and development in order to ensure that the company would have the right capable people to get the jobs done in a timely effective manner. I tried to make the company’s day-to-day operation more systematic. I helped creating a set of desired competencies for management and staff, leadership development program and succession planning. Having the right system in place was just the beginning of this long journey, putting the system into work and achieving tangible improvements were much bigger challenge. Working with people issues is a never-ending process. There are always more to do and many valuable lessons to learn along the way.

My first few months being back at ‘Company A’ were tough. I had hard time adjusting to a state-own-enterprise mentality, very hierarchical culture, and seniority-based management. I really had to watch out of what I said and tried not to do anything that could be viewed as disrespectful to the seniors. Being a young female in a male-oriented, technical-driven company was also not easy. Many times my points and my work weren’t being taken seriously. I needed to put much harder efforts to establish my credibility and generate buy-in among seniors. It took me a long while to gradually understand the system and find my way to strive in this new environment.

12.After work for a few years you then applied for an MBA. Why did you choose ‘Grad School A’ and what was that experience like? What things were most important that you learned? Is the MBA program as challenging and stressful as most people think?

As part of the contract, the ‘Company A’ scholarship would support my education abroad until Master’s Degree. Since my interest is always in general management, I believe that getting my Master’s in MBA would be appropriate. That’s why I came back to work at ‘Company A’ for three years before going back to get my MBA in order to gain real work experience. I chose to apply to ‘Grad School A’ along with other four schools in the U.S., because I was confident with its outstanding quality and unmatched experience the school got to offer. ‘Grad School A’ believes in developing leaders who make differences in the world and I do also believe in making differences. I trust in the school’s approach in equipping leaders with more well-rounded, general management skills instead of focusing in one specific aspect of business studies. I believe if you want to make differences, you have to have a broad understanding of all the issues around you and be able to address each and every of them systematically.

Although I had the advantage of being accustomed to a case study method from my two years in the School of Commerce at ‘College A’, my time at ‘Grad School A’ was full of challenges. Being away in Thailand for three years with very few opportunities to use English or speak up my thoughts openly, I had to go through another huge adjustment when I first entered ‘Grad School A’. It was easy to get intimidated and feel inferior when you’re surrounded by the best and brightest from all over the world. It was hard for me to form an opinion on issues that I was hardly familiar with, and it was even harder to speak up in front of the field experts in the room. It took lots of courage to speak up and be heard in that competitive environment, but fortunately all my peers were supportive and quite friendly when it came to different points of view. We respected each other’s differences and found it as a great opportunity to broaden our perspectives.

Spending two years going through more than 900 cases with my peers, I’ve learned that I knew very little about the world and many times the wiser thing to do is to take time to listen to others. Case studies stimulate us about different issues we would face in the real world and challenge us to think hard about what we would do in that situation. This world is full of complex issues where it’s not easy to judge what’s right or wrong. As we go up the corporate ladders, we need to stand firm in our ethical values and be ready to go against the majority if it means doing the right thing.

Leadership is art and science combined. There is no one formula to guarantee your success. It is important to keep learning and be highly adaptive to the environment you are in. What works in certain environment can be disastrous in others. One shouldn’t jump into quick conclusion or put on a know-it-all attitude. ‘Grad School A’ also emphasizes the importance of networking. As this world becomes more globalized, it’s essential for us to beware of cultural differences and stay connected with our peers from different parts of the world. Most importantly, it is crucial for each of us to look beyond ourselves and try to make contribution to the society.

13.Now you are back in Thailand as a high performer at ‘Company A’. Can you describe what it is you do and what your goals are for yourself and your company?

Since my graduation from ‘Grad School A’ in 2008, I have been back at ‘Company A’, still pursuing to make a difference in the company’s HR system. I created the company’s HR Model where it interlinks all the major HR management and development systems together. As we try to interconnect all different pieces of HR tasks and integrate them as one effort to fulfill the company’s goal, I believe we can gradually help strengthen ‘Company A’s workforce to become more capable, ethical and engaged. It’s quite a big challenge, because for the company that has been around for 65 years, there are things that are implanted in our culture and the people’s mentality. With strong unions, we can’t possibly take away any benefits our staff get and encourage them to agree to performance-based management system, where what they get would be based on how well they perform in the work they do. Nowadays, we can no longer work in silo as my company used to. I am, therefore, determined to convince others and set example for us to work together as cross-functional teams. In doing so, I am the HR representative to work closely with executives from other fields. I have to learn about the nature of their work, understand their needs, assess whether their requests are appropriate, and determine how HR can fulfill their needs while putting the company’s interests as top priorities. I strongly believe that if cross functions can work together to strive forward to achieve the company’s goals, we would be able to arrive at practical solutions for all parties.

In term of goals, I have never been an ambitious person and I tend to find small happiness from my everyday life. I haven’t yet found a specific goal in life. I just want to live every day with no regret and have pride in making meaningful differences for others. Usually, I start my day thinking about things I have to do and try to accomplish as many as I could. I aim to make each day a productive one, where I can feel like I have done something meaningful either for myself, people around me, my company, or my community. To prevent myself from being too result-driven, I have to make sure that I spend sufficient time with my loved ones. Family always comes first for me. If not necessary, I will not work weekends and try to spend quality time with my family.

Last but not least, I always want to create positive atmosphere for everyone around me. It may sound a bit idealistic, but I do believe that each of us should try to make this world a better place to live in. That’s why one of my goals is to be kind and helpful to others every single day. I believe that when one is kind to others, that positive vibe will keep carrying on and spreading positive effects to so many more people in the community. It’s not an easy thing to achieve in a harsh and competitive environment we live in today. But, if nobody tries to spread this positive vibe, I think this world will soon turn to be one horrible place for all of us.

14.Could you share some tips about how to get adjusted living in the new country?

Starting a life in a new country is never an easy thing to do. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what school you go to, or what experience you may have. Trying to fit right in in a foreign country is a big challenge. Language and culture differences are the barriers to become well fitted. I think being able to adjust to living in a new country seems to become more difficult once one grows older. Being open-minded, highly flexible and able to take things lightly while still knowing your self-worth are the important qualities for people who want to move overseas, especially at older age. The first three months may be the toughest. But, if one can make it through the initial period, adjustment should come easier. Just don’t put too much pressure on yourself and take time to enjoy a new ride, I believe, are key to survive in a new country ?

15.You have seen how the Thai scholars program has created a generation of leaders. How would you convince other countries to follow this model?

Although I can’t argue against the fact that the Thai Scholars Program has created many amazing leaders for the country, I am not sure that it is the right model for every country. Many of my friends in the program, including myself find the experience when coming back to Thailand quite brutal. Having an opportunity to study in the top institutions in the U.S., where things are so mind-expanding and advanced, we have a pretty hard time returning to a not-well-developed, restricted working environment. While we are taught to be efficient and speak up our thoughts, we wouldn’t be highly appreciated in doing so here. The working environment in Thai government offices, state enterprises, and universities haven’t quite developed to a level where most people can accept western ways of thinking and working yet. So, it normally takes us a few years to find our way to operate and strive in our assigned organizations. For those of us who are fortunate, we find a way to excel and successfully create positive differences for our organizations. But, many of us don’t feel quite fit in, give up on the system, and become withdrawn.

Additionally, it’s hard to motivate ourselves to work hard and perform at our best if our starting salaries start as low as US Dollars 500 a month. In many of the organizations we work at, there are no incentive structures in place yet, so there is not much differentiation between good performers and bad performers. This is another reason why public sectors in Thailand who have sponsored scholarships for many high-potential personnel fail to retain their talents. This is a hard question to answer: where exactly should developing countries start? On one hand, you have to start by having staff with good educations to help develop better systems for organizations, but on the other hand, if you don’t have the right system to keep them engaged or retain them, you won’t get good performance out of these staff and many of them would find their way out before the useful system has been put in place.

To sum up, I believe the Scholarship Program is good if a country can think through this issue more holistically. Organizations that sponsor students to study abroad should plan carefully about how to appropriately take care of these scholarship students when they return. This group of talents should have challenging projects to work on, clear career opportunities, rewarding compensation, as well as good coaches and peers. Many of the organizations in Thailand currently depend on their luck. They count on scholarship students’ loyalty and self-dedication. Many of them found their luck, but many are experiencing brain-drain problems. Many of the scholarship students find their work not meaningful or not fulfilling, so they stay there because of binding contracts and spend a lot of time doing side jobs elsewhere. This is a rather sad phenomenon for Thailand and we’d better find a solution before Thai public sectors are running too low on talents.

16.Is there anything else you would like to add that might help student, parents or educators when thinking about leaving home to pursue education?

When thinking about sending your kids to study abroad, you must think long term. The age that you send them off may indicate their future. From my experience, kids who go study abroad earlier than 9th grade would have hard time coming back to their home country after they finish their education. So, if you want to send off your kids earlier but want them to later come back to settle down in your home country, you’d better make sure they have an opportunity to come back home quite often (about once a year). On the other hand, if you send your kids later than 9th grade, they may miss out on the opportunity in learning fully about the new country’s language and culture. Kids’ experience will be different depending on when you send them: high school, college or grad school.

For those who choose an earlier year, they should prepare their kids well, especially in term of language and understanding of the new culture. Sending them to summer school for a few summers beforehand may help them get adjusted easier. The earlier you send your kids off, the more efforts you have to put in to make sure that your kids know they still have their family’s love and support, no matter how physically far away they are. With all the help of technologies these days, it’s much easier to stay in touch and help parents and kids feel close together.

Last but not least, parents may think they know what’s best for the kids, but many times they may be wrong. So, before making a big decision for your kids (like sending them to study abroad), make sure that you have a good talk with your kids first. Let them have a part in planning their own future too. Nevertheless, no decision is set in stone. Make sure you touch base with your kids about their wants as they go along their journey. Some of them may not think studying abroad is right for them, while some may not even want to return to their home country. After all, each person is different, so lots of thoughts must be put in when planning your kids’ future. Take it slow and think carefully ?

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Time is an odd thing. We can measure it precisely yet it also moves slowly and quickly. I met Pond before she enrolled in her undergraduate university. I knew then she was someone special. She’s one of the kindest people I have ever met, but she also has an iron determination to do well in anything she undertakes. Her rise to a top management position in a major company did not happen by stepping on others; instead, it came from learning to learn, from working tirelessly, and for never losing sight of her ethical and generous approach to others. Yet all this happened in what seems to me an eye blink. For Pond, the first few months in the US seemed to drag on forever, but now seems far distant.

For those not familiar with the Thai Scholars program, Pond describes well the selection process. They take a small group of the best students from all of Thailand and offer them full scholarships to attend at least one year of boarding school in the US and 4 years at elite universities. Some f the scholarships include funding for masters programs and other all the way through the PhD. For every year spent in the US, students must give back 2 year of employment in Thailand. For those who finish a PHD in the US their careers are essentially set for nearly two decades. Many of these scholars will become professors or leaders in various industries.

I have attended the gatherings of the new Thai Scholars held in Brewster Academy just prior to the students' entry into boarding schools across the US (the policy is to have no more than 2 Thai scholars at any school so they will fully integrate into the schools and culture). Many of these students have the kinds of awards students dream about. There are medalists in math, or computer science, or other academic Olympiads. While these students are exceptionally gifted, many have not studied English intensively. What this means, in effect, that while in 1 year of a top boarding school, they must learn English and, at the same time, take the highest level courses offered in math and science.

As Pond’s story demonstrates, trying to learn English very quickly while at the same time compete in regular classes and also integrate into a group of students that has already formed strong bonds comprises an exceptionally difficult challenge. Pond and her fellow Thai scholars know they will be under immense pressure to do all that is expected of them, yet they do so with a positive attitude and an unending work ethic. I have almost never seen anything like it.

Most of the students are accepted at the big name schools. There are always a few who go to MIT and ivies and other top rated schools. And at the end of 4 years many come out near or at the top in their majors. Year in and year out I have watched Thai scholars receive award for their academic performance and research. And I have seen them move on to top graduate programs.

Pond earned her way into what many consider to be the best MBA program in the world. Providing funding for the best students in the US or other places around the globe occasionally comes under scrutiny because educators feel that the money might be better spent on low income students instead. Perhaps. But creating a group of leaders, especially in fields where scholar are needed, may not be a bad idea for some countries.

I would like to thank Pond for sharing her story here. She provides detail and narratives about her experiences in education and in the workforce that we don’t often hear. Some of it is heart-breaking but most of it is, in the end, life affirming. Pond chose to make the challenges something to learn from rather than opportunities to cast blame about. Her character, in other words, is what got her through what could have been a crushing experience when she first arrived and tried to fit in. Her courage and unflagging positive attitude demonstrates why she has come so far in her academic journey.

She is, as she has always been, too modest about her accomplishments. She has the mix of intelligence and commitment that few have. In this sense she is, of course, a role model. But she is a great role model in a more important sense. Her character as a person rather than just a scholar is what sets her apart. I was lucky enough to have the chance to get to know her and to learn from her about her approach to the world. Her remarks about how there is a correlation between the successful adjustment to a new country and the age at which an international student comes to the country is profound. The advice to parents about sharing the decision making and the on-going adjustment process with their children also seems like something all parents, educators, and students should know and understand. Pond’s wisdom extends far beyond her career field. She has her wisdom from lived experience. I think that those of you who have read her words here will agree that she has much to teach anyone about how to live and how to learn.

Pond with her brother at MBA Graduation with the flag of Thailand