Artit Gets an Award!

We have really wonderful news about Artit, one of our first scholarship recipients! In March, Artit’s mother traveled the three hours to Chiang Mai for his high school's graduation ceremony at the Empress Hotel. Though Artit was not graduating, he was being honored as an outstanding current student. On the way to Chiang Mai, Artit's mother told us that she was nervous, but also excited, given that it was the second time she had ever been to Chiang Mai. Her sister was supposed to pick her up from the bus station, but unfortunately there was a miscommunication and Artit’s mom couldn’t find her and had no way of contacting her. Though she briefly considered immediately buying a bus ticket to return to Pai, she gathered her courage to call Jo, one of our project managers, who was also planning to attend Artit’s ceremony. Jo picked Artit’s mother up and together they went to Jo’s guesthouse to get dressed.


When Artit’s mother saw Jo’s dress for the ceremony, she felt uncomfortable and nervous about her own casual clothing. Luckily, Jo took the time to convince Artit’s mother that the event was very special and that her being there was all that mattered. Eventually, the two of them found their way to the ceremony, stopping on the way to buy Artit a bouquet of flowers.


 The event was not merely celebrating the students’ graduation, a feat in and of itself. The school was also honoring specific students that showed special promise and distinguished themselves in their field. Artit was awarded one of these unique prizes! Surayud Chulanont, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, presented the awards on behalf of the king, evidence of how important and impressive the award truly is.

After the ceremony, Artit’s mother sheepishly presented the flowers to Artit and the three of them took pictures. Artit’s mom told Jo that she had never expected anything like this to happen – that it was a miracle. The whole day was quite overwhelming for her as she proudly watched her son receive special recognition from his teachers and peers. The award validated Artit’s hard work during the school year and further motivated him to continue with his studies.


After the ceremony Artit returned to Pai to be with his family. He is now searching for work experience while also looking to continue studying English, which he believes is a language that will increase and improve his opportunities. We are looking forward to seeing Artit’s future accomplishments as he completes high school in the coming years, enters the next stage of his life and undoubtedly continues to impress everyone he meets.