It’s beautiful and uplifting news. Hser Nay Taw,  born of genocide and cruelty, was just accepted to Siena College to pursue her dream of being a lawyer who helps other refugees fix a broken system. The Army of Good has paid her tuition through high school, and she has become a good friend to me and Maria. Hser Nay once told me that she had journeyed from Hell to Heaven.

A decade ago, her family lost everything – home, money, safety, and security. Now, she is headed to a great college, searching for a meaningful future. She has come so far, and yet she is just beginning. You helped her to do it.

She spent her early years with her family in a refugee camp in Thailand after they were driven from their homes in Myanmar. I’ve always seen her as a glowing symbol of the American dream, a haven from bigotry and hostility. Under Sue Silverstein’s watchful eye, Hser Nay has excelled as a student and friend.

She and Maria have bonded closely as Maria taught her how to sew and make some of her clothing. She was one of the first refugee children I met at Bishop Gibbons, and we moved with her to Bishop Gibbons; she is devoted to her teacher, Sue, who has guided and supported her every step.

Hser Nay instantly became a top student at both schools, and she will almost surely benefit from student aid and scholarship donations. On her behalf, I wanted to thank the people of the Army of Good for paying her tuition these past few years and helping her meet her great potential. She will be a perfect American citizen with a good heart and soul.

After hearing the horror story that drove her and her family into flight and depravation, I was struck by her lack of complaint, bitterness, or anger over what she had been through. From the beginning, she talked about becoming a lawyer to help some of the many immigrants who need support and to fix a system we all know is broken.

It is lovely to see these refugee children work hard, get into good schools, and prepare to move into the mainstream of American life, even as they face rejection and cruelty.

I can’t say enough for Sue Silverstein, who introduced me to Hser Nay and stood by her as she learned to adapt tomorrow and begin her drive for a good and better life. Hers will always be a life of meaning. She has a big heart and a loving soul. You can see it in her smile and her eyes. I’m grateful that we could help her and many of her classmates. Sue is an angel, maybe a saint. She has touched the lives of countless young people.

Godspeed, Hser Nay, you have made me feel like there is meaning in my life. I know there is meaning in yours, and I hope you know we will always be here to help you pursue your dreams, which you have never given up on. You are good and solid and faithful. This feels like a tremendous victory for the idea of doing good.