My name is Christine Maemon Thinn and I am a first-generation immigrant to the U.S. I was born in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) and moved to Maryland with my parents when I was 14, with lots of hopes and dreams of saving the world with the American higher education I would receive. Initially, I planned to become a doctor and travel around the world with programs like Doctors without Borders.
However, I later realized my strengths lie more with managing projects and creating connections, rather than curing diseases. That is why I decided to go into the field of public health. When I was attending Frederick Community College for my Associates Degree and preparing to transfer, my advisor mentioned the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) campus as an option. So I searched for undergraduate-level programs in public health and the B.S. in Public Health Science program offered by the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) at USG really stood out to me. I applied instantly and was eventually accepted into the program. As I made connections with faculty and staff during my undergraduate studies, I also received the opportunity to continue my education with a Master of Public Health, also offered through UMD.
Throughout my four years of undergraduate and graduate studies on USG campus, I was involved in various clubs and organizations, including Students Engaged in Public Health (SEIPH), Student Leadership Association (SLA), International Club, Toastmasters, and Students in Healthcare for Action and Reform (SHARe). I also held a position as a student assistant with the Public Health Science program, and was a blogger on USG’s Around the Grove Student Blog.
With the wings the University of Maryland and USG equipped me with, I applied my public health and communication skills to intern at organizations such as RTI International, Hepatitis Foundation International, UNESCO Center for Peace, and the Asian American Center of Frederick. I also went to rural Cambodia for 27 months to serve in the Peace Corps as a Community Health Education Volunteer.
Now, for the third time, I am back at USG earning my MBA through UMD’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. I selected this program over others because of the smaller class sizes, the location of the campus, which is convenient from my work and home, and the abundance of amenities nearby. Of course, the warmth of helpful staff was another benefit to coming back to USG, and most importantly, the incredibly diverse campus that truly emphasizes a culture of inclusiveness. Currently, I am a Track Rep for my second year cohort of MBA students at USG, the President of the Part-Time MBA Association, and a Co-Chair of Young Professionals Network with Core Group.
My anticipated MBA graduation is in December 2022. I am currently working as a Senior Project Coordinator for a global health and development company. Upon graduation, I hope to use my public health and business skills to pivot to a position where I can work on even bigger projects, with bigger companies, in more of a leadership role with an improved salary. I am not sure where or when that will be, but I know for sure that it will be somewhere that allows me to enjoy my job, travel, and help people.