CARRYING ON

REFUGEES ASSIMILATED TO LIFE IN AMERICA AND TO LIFE AS DONS

Written with the help of Sebastian Deustua

If most high schoolers in the United States were to ask their peers how many of them spoke more than one language fluently, there would probably only be a few scattered hands raised. Ask them if they were born outside of the U.S., and chances are that even fewer would raise their hands. Ask, lastly, how many have fled their homes and countries of origin during childhood to reach a safe environment, and it's likely no peers would raise their hands.

Such is the case of two recent Dons alumni, Pluto Wah ‘21 and Su Lah Min Min ‘22 (who goes by Min Min). Pluto hails from Myanmar, a country located in Southeastern Asia, bordered by other nations such as China and Thailand, the latter of which is Min Min’s homeland. In 2010, Myanmar was embroiled in major crises, one of which was an uprising in Pluto’s home state, Karen. Pluto was a young boy when the military arrived in his village, and he, along with his family, were forced to move “…from village to village until arriving at one that housed United Nations troops." Although he and his family were now thankfully out of the line of fire, they now faced a new challenge of trying to move from their home country to the United States. Even though he was just six years old, Pluto vividly remembers the quizzes and interviews that he and his family had to endure to see if they could move to America, after which he says was followed by "a long waiting game to see if our names were called to go.”

Similarly, Min Min and his family also made the difficult decision to leave their home in Southeast Asia, leaving their friends and family behind. “My parents wanted a better life for me and my siblings, with the opportunity for a better education,” shares Min Min. After leaving their village, they ended up in a refugee camp in Thailand before beginning the same arduous task of immigrating to the United States.

After a long process of acquiring paperwork to let them immigrate to their new home from Asia, both boys and their families arrived in San Diego. Upon arrival, Pluto and Min Min struggled to adjust to their new lives in the United States. Both of them were met with the daunting task of living in a new, unfamiliar place full of unknown rules and customs and a language barrier.

One of the most difficult adjustments was a completely different school environment. Pluto explained that “going to school was very hard. I didn’t know anybody, and I didn’t know any English.” He remembers struggling to adjust. He joined a tutoring program for refugees, which ended up changing his course in life completely. Through this program, he met two mentors, Star Soltan and Chris Zures, whose mission was to help refugees attend college. Pluto says, "There is a low percentage of Karen guys in my neighborhood that attend college, and my goal is to be a role model for the younger generation in my community." These mentors would prove to be extremely helpful in supporting this goal.

Once in high school, Pluto found that he wanted a more challenging academic atmosphere than the one he found himself in. One of his tutors, who he had met through Star and Chris, was a coach on the Dons Varsity Football Team and encouraged Pluto to look into transferring to Cathedral Catholic. Pluto ended up transferring the second semester of his junior year thanks to the mentorship and financial support of Star and Chris, and he found the rigorous environment he had been looking for. He initially struggled but was motivated and encouraged by the Dons community. He shares, "The teachers were very helpful and easy to communicate with. They were all very supportive and willing to help me. Being involved in the football program also helped me keep my grades up because I knew I had to keep a certain GPA to play games. That helped motivate me to work hard and turn in my assignments." These experiences allowed Pluto to develop a sense of resilience, independence and a work ethic that has led him to become what he is today: a hardworking student at the University of San Diego studying Environmental Ocean Science and a model example of what it means to be a Don.

Min Min also faced a similar difficult adjustment to schooling and to the language barrier when he came to San Diego at 10 years old. Being the oldest of all his siblings, he also had to act as a good role model for his younger brothers and sisters. He looked up to his parents a great deal and says, "I was inspired by all the hard work that they were doing in order for my siblings and me to have a better life and a better education.” He used their example as a guide on how he should carry himself through life. Emulating his parent’s work ethic, Min Min worked relentlessly throughout middle school and his first two years of high school, which caught the attention of Star and Chris. Just as they had for Pluto, the pair supported Min Min's education financially, and he transferred to Cathedral Catholic the second semester of his sophomore year.

On this transition, Min Min shares, "I was nervous because there seemed to be only a few people at Cathedral Catholic that didn't know English very well like me. It was hard at first, but as I got to know people it was easy for me to make friends." Pluto was the only person Min Min knew when he first transferred in, but that quickly changed. He found everyone at Cathedral Catholic, including employees, parents and students, to be very welcoming. He quickly realized that his favorite part about becoming a Don was becoming a part of such a tightknit community. He grew especially close to his teammates on the Varsity Football Team. Min Min became a state champion last year during his senior season, all while maintaining excellent grades. He enjoyed a well-rounded education at Cathedral Catholic and was wellknown for his kindness and sense of humor. Min Min is now at USD and is considering studying Environmental Ocean Science like Pluto.

These young men's stories illustrate how much a Don's life can differ from that of his or her peers around them. The way that the pair overcame the struggles they faced, from warfare and disaster in Asia to scholastic troubles in America, is nothing short of extraordinary. Their will and determination exemplify what it means to be a Don to a tee.

Pluto celebrates after a game with Chris and Star (Michael Cazares/Cazares Media)

Michael Cazares/Cazares Media

Pluto and Min Min after a Dons Football game

Min Min with his classmate, Deric Woo "D Woo," after the state championship game