Announcement
Former first lady Michelle Obama hugs Htee Shee at the Young Women's Leadership Conference.
Photo: Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer/Dallas Morning News
In 2007, my family said goodbye to our lives in the refugee camp. With only our bag of what we thought we would need in America, we boarded the bus to the city in Thailand. When we finally landed at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, we were immediately hit with the culture shock. Luckily, my uncle was there to greet us and he took care of us for the first few days until we met our caseworker from the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Htee Shee poses for a photo in Thailand.
Photo: Personal
It was hard coming to a new country without knowing the language at all. When I started elementary school, I struggled academically and socially due to my lack of English. It only made me more determined to learn and I stuck my nose in books and read for hours every day. Over time, I grew as a student and I was eventually accepted at the Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School.
When I started at Irma Rangel in 8th grade, I was not prepared to take on the rigor of my new environment. As we entered high school, I felt I wasn’t accomplishing as much as my peers were. Many of my classmates already knew what they wanted to do in college and I felt like I was failing in life. Once senior year began, I hit the ground running; I was determined to prove to myself that I was worthy.
When I was offered the opportunity to attend the book tour for Becoming by Michelle Obama, I didn’t hesitate. I remember waiting anxiously for the day to arrive as I poured over the pages. On the day of the book tour, me and 5 of my classmates left for the Young Women’s Leadership Conference.
We had been told that we would be doing a book discussion with a special guest and as they sat us in a circle, we exchanged our suspicions about who it could be. “If it’s Michelle Obama, I’ll cry,” the girl next to me said; I agreed. We had only been talking about Becoming for ten minutes when the host gestured to the back of the room for us to welcome our discussion guest. We heard the clicking of her heels and the room instantly filled with confidence – it was Michelle Obama. At that moment I could only think of one thing: I wanted a hug!
"At that moment I could only think of one thing: I wanted a hug!"
Photo: Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer/Dallas Morning News
I leapt out of my chair and spread my arms wide and she did the same. Some of the girls started crying and, after we all got our hugs, we settled down for our conversation with the former first lady. I had been nervous throughout the whole ordeal and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. That night, I didn’t ask Mrs. Obama a question, I thanked her. For as long as I can remember, I found representing my culture to be challenging, but in that moment I felt a surge of strength rush through my body.
I raised my hand and introduced myself with the proudest voice I could muster, “My name is Htee Shee and my ethnicity is Karen. I came here in 2007 just in time to witness the first black president and first lady take office. In my experience, I have been told what I can and cannot do as a minority, but that never destroyed me. Since you took the first step for millions of us, we are brave enough to carve our own paths, strong enough to ignore the blatant racism, and smart enough to know that we will be able to make a change. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
At the end of the discussion, we all felt empowered and motivated to do better. It’s amazing what a strong, female role model can do for young girls. Michelle wiped away our doubts about our futures and who we are. She made us feel proud that we were minorities.
To me, that was a moment of clarity. I finally felt confident in the paths which had led me to meeting Michelle Obama. That night when I finally slept and dreamed of college, for the first time it wasn’t stressful. In my dreams, I appreciated the journey I have taken from the refugee camp in Thailand to my senior year in high school and in a few months, to college in America.
Htee Shee and her family were resettled by the IRC in Dallas in 2007 from Thailand. She is in the 12th grade at Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School. After graduation, Htee Shee plans to pursue a degree in Art, Technology, and Emerging Communication at The University of Texas at Dallas.