A Young Woman in Mongolia Prepares for a Career in STEM

By Shae Davidson

Namuun is an enthusiastic and outgoing student who is finishing secondary school in Ulaanbaatar. She is studying Korean and English, and enjoys playing basketball and volleyball with her friends.

She has grown tremendously since her early days in middle school. An orphan, Namuun moved back and forth between her brothers’ houses, where she took care of her cousins and did housework. She faced a long walk to school each day. Reflecting on her life at the time, she describes feeling very depressed and isolated, and had difficulty expressing herself.

While in middle school, Namuun signed up for services at the Asral Center. Asral–Mongolian for “care”—gave Namuun the environment she needed to focus on school and explore her place in the world.  The center offered her nutritious hot meals, a quiet place to study and educational support, and a new circle of friends. Staff members also found a donor to help cover dental and health-care expenses. 

Panchen Ötrul Rinpoche created the Asral Center in 2001 to directly address the social and economic issues breaking up Mongolian families. The U.S.-basedMaitreya Charity supports his vision, providing assistance for a range of vocational, medical, and educational programs and helping children like Namuun.  

Namuun began to thrive in school, exploring social science in middle school before discovering her love of languages. She was uncertain, however, about her career plans as she began her final year of high school. Asral staff members encouraged her to take career interest inventory and helped her apply to ten programs in six universities. After achieving an excellent score on the school’s entrance exam, Namuun was accepted into the University of Science and Technology. Concerned that her family’s poverty would impede her studies, the Asral Center offered to buy a laptop for Namuun and pay for other expenses.  

Namuun is eager to begin the next phase of her life. While excited about the opportunities and experiences she will have in the future, she feels a deep connection to the center, its staff, and the friends she made in the program. She promised: “I will always love and keep all of you in my heart.”

BGR Board member Shae Davidson completed a Ph.D. in U.S. History at Ohio University, with research exploring the importance of inclusive community partnerships in building food systems. His past experience includes serving as a museum director, a humanities instructor, and a researcher. Shae currently works at a nonprofit that supports survivors of gender-based violence.