For senior Nyan Paing Tin, coming to Hillsdale College three-and-a-half years ago meant leaving his family in Yangon, Burma behind and stepping into a strange new world.
Before then, Tin’s only experience of the United States came from Hollywood movies, so the rural city of Hillsdale didn’t quite fit his expectations.
“I always thought America would be like New York City, with tall buildings and a subway,” he said. “When I came here, we don’t even have a train station, and there are no tall buildings.”
His first day, Tin was surprised to see a deer outside his dorm window, having never seen one except for those kept at the Burma Zoo.
Tin originally found out about Hillsdale College through the U.S. News and World Report’s list of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. He checked to see which ones would offer scholarships to foreign students, and finally settled on Hillsdale.
Tin has not returned home since coming to Hillsdale his freshman year because it is an expensive flight and obtaining a new student visa is very difficult.
While he enjoys Hillsdale’s liberal arts education, the heavy amount of humanities classes required for the core curriculum have been challenging. Tin learned English at his school in Burma, but never had a chance to practice it. Completing the English and history classes was difficult as he struggled to read books such as “The Odyssey.” Tin also had no experience with writing research papers.
“According to our education system, in high school you are either a science student or humanities student, so I chose science,” Tin said.
While double majoring in physics and math, Tin works in the physics department as a lab technician. He sets up labs required for the chemistry, bio-chemistry, and physics majors. He also repairs any electronics that break down and modifies equipment if necessary for a particular lab.
He likes his job and said, “It has some creativity involved in it. I think I have to make some decisions on my own.”
Tin said he likes physics so much because it helps him understand the world around him.
“I think we can learn more about nature and how things work in general by studying physics,” Tin said.
This past summer, Tin worked closely with Professor of Physics Ken Hayes on research through the Laureates program. Tin said Hayes is very interested and focused on his research. Even though Hayes required a lot of hard work from his summer research assistant, Tin proved to be an exceptional student.
“I just tell him what needs to be done and he goes away, comes back, and he’s done it,” Hayes said. “I don’t know how he got all that experience.”
Hayes was particularly impressed by a small electric car that Tin designed, built, and programed on his own. The car even had light sensors and was controlled by Tin’s cell phone.
“In my 24 years, I never had a kid that showed that level of initiative and problem solving,” Hayes said. “I just marvel at his ability to succeed. It’s a remarkable situation, and he’s done very well.”
Not only does Tin stand out in the physics department, but he also does very well in the math department. Tin’s friend and fellow math major senior Danny Garay said, “As far as math goes, he’s better at it that I am. The nice thing about math and physics is there is less of a language barrier for him. He doesn’t have to do as much reading and writing.”
Garay met Tin their freshman year in class and the two have since developed a close friendship. It all started by Garay driving Tin to Kroger every other weekend to buy chicken, potatoes, oil, rice, 3 two-liter bottles of Sprite, and the occasional tub of ice cream.
“He always buys the same six things,” Garay said. “He is really regimented.”
The two friends share a sarcastic, goofy sense of humor in addition to an appreciation for their respective cultures. Garay has learned a lot about the Burmese culture, he said, mentioning that just the other day, he learned that one’s head is considered sacred and should not be touched. Garay also enjoys teaching Tin about the American culture.
“He always asks me about stereotypes, so I teach him about them,” Garay said. “Now we will pull into the Kroger parking lot, and he will point at a poorly parked car and say, ‘See, a woman parked that.’”
Garay really admires Tin’s intelligence, though. He hopes that Tin will get into graduate school and stay in the U.S. to work.
Tin would like to go to graduate school in the U.S. next year and is applying for a few different programs. He would really like to study engineering, but would rather own his own banking business after his graduate studies.
If he doesn’t go to graduate school, Tin will return to Burma and work for his father, who owns a rice mill.
“He’s brilliant,” Garay said. “So for someone as smart as he is, it would be a waste to go back to Burma and sell rice.”
