Min Khant Tun | An exciting problem: Scholar finds himself sought–after by elite global universities and choosing between prestigious scholarships
Min Khant Tun graduated from Rosedale Global High School in 2021 with partner Royal Academic Institute, located in Myanmar. He enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering General at York University in 2022, with a goal of specializing in Mechanical Engineering. Min Khant chose to study at York University after receiving an offer of admission and a President’s International Scholarship of Excellence worth $180,000 CAD—covering four years of education and housing for high-achieving applicants involved in volunteering and extracurricular activities.
“I received the email during Ramadan, I was fasting and awake during the middle of the night. During those months, you’re woozy and you wake really early,” Min Khant remembers. “The moment I was reading the offer I was like, ‘Is this a scam? Is this real?’ It took a long time to process!”
Min Khant can still remember how it felt filling out his university applications—a mix of anxiety and excitement for his future path. Wanting to study in Canada, he applied to Carleton University, Concordia University, Ontario Tech University, Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Manitoba, University of Saskatchewan, University of Windsor and York University. Despite receiving top marks in his international high school, Min Khant felt humble to the point he noted he would have felt lucky to get any university offer. Without a specific dream university in mind, he submitted his applications and continued finalizing his secondary school studies and preparing for graduation while awaiting a university offer.
“I was just content. As long as I can learn and be a part of engineering, I didn’t mind where I went,” Min Khant says. “I believe that a university’s ranking isn’t the main thing, it’s about how you learn and explore yourself.”
He was thrilled to open offer after offer, with each one including a scholarship component. Min Khant received offers to every university to which he applied, and all with scholarships worth between $3,000 CAD to York University’s $180,000 CAD.
Min Khant attributes much of his success to Rosedale Global High School’s Transformative Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) program. Always a proficient scholar, he excelled in his previous International GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) curriculum, the UK-based qualification for international students interested in writing their A-levels. However, through Rosedale’s OSSD Min Khant was given the freedom to explore his own unique interests and learning styles. He was empowered to exercise independence while also being challenged to communicate and collaborate with his peers.
“Rosedale’s OSSD is a very unique way of learning because I was not assessed based on just one exam, but how I function as a student…every aspect of being a student,” Min Khant says. “It really helped me adapt to a university style of learning.”
Through Rosedale’s differentiated instruction, Min Khant was able to further build on his academic success. He was inspired to follow his interests and build the confidence he needed to learn more about himself as a student and a person.
“Rosedale puts a lot of value on what it is to be a global citizen, and that’s a recurring theme I’ve experienced a lot in university,” Min Khant says. Comparing his OSSD program to those offered in local public schools, he explains, “OSSD is different; you help other students, you learn how to contribute to society and how to become a better person in general.”
Min Khant exemplifies the ideal global citizen–he is a driven academic with lofty ambitions on a global scale. Equipped with a renowned diploma that fostered a remarkable understanding of our interconnected world and how he can best adapt and innovate, he still focuses on his home and benefiting his community.
“I always remind myself how privileged I am to be here. I have this goal to one day have some sort of impact on the education of children back home, children who were not as privileged as I am. Many students in Myanmar can’t get further in life because of situational barriers. It’s a motivation for me to disrupt those barriers,” says Min Khant.
Rosedale’s OSSD program empowered Min Khant to better understand himself, his learning styles, his interests and what he is capable of achieving.
“It’s still so surreal that I can say it, but I feel like I’m definitely on track to getting to where I envision myself in the next ten years,” Min Khant says, smiling.
