The Unexpected Curriculum: How Leaving Home Fostered Mindfulness and Community

For many, the transition to university life is a big step. Now imagine that step spanning continents, cultures and languages. This was the reality for Khing Masaya-anon, a senior in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (BAE).

In 2020 Masaya-anon journeyed from Bangkok, Thailand to pursue a degree in biological engineering with a concentration in bioprocessing. Navigating a new culture on top of juggling her engineering coursework was a challenge, but soon led to a deep curiosity and eagerness to learn more. As her passion for bioprocessing grew, so did her interest in celebrating differences. 

Growing up in Thailand, an agricultural-rich country, Masaya-anon was taught to appreciate the natural world. She was always passionate about waste management and how waste and agricultural byproducts could be transformed into renewable value-added products. 

The Royal Thai Government Scholarship Program introduced her to sustainable biotechnology development. “The development requires multi-scale interdisciplinary collaboration which is still a challenge for my community,” she says. She decided to pursue bioprocess engineering to “bridge the gap between scientists, engineers, producers and the local community.” 

After arriving at NC State University to pursue her passion, Masaya-anon quickly got involved in undergraduate research. “This early opportunity has significantly opened me to different research endeavors and laboratory experiences,” she says. 

Her understanding and appreciation for research continued to grow as she got involved with more faculty and graduate student research. “From compost sampling and hemp hurd milling to swine manure collection and gas analysis, the faculty member and graduate student projects taught me the connection between coursework and real-world applications,” she says. 

These experiences motivated her to participate in independent undergraduate research projects through BAE’s Research and Educational Enhancement Project (REEP) and the Biotechnology Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (BIT SURE) at NC State. 

However, she soon learned that research was not a straight path. “Despite seeing other friends and graduate students going through challenging times before, it was a steep learning curve to make decisions based on my own literature research of unfamiliar topics, keep up with the project plan and troubleshoot experiments when things didn’t go as expected,” Masaya-anon says.

Her support system of mentors helped her see that mistakes and failure are part of the research process. 

Masaya-anon also found importance in having a supportive community outside of the lab. Coming from a close family, it was challenging for her to live on her own and navigate a lifestyle so different from the one at home. 

Her initial discomfort soon turned into an eagerness to learn. “I started exploring social-cultural engagement opportunities—from local community service with NC State’s International Students and Scholars Engaged in Reaching Out and Volunteering (ISSERV) program, to the salsa workshop by the Sube Ritmo student organization where I met my closest friends,” Masaya-anon says. 

She dove right into getting involved in NC State’s many student organizations like SciBridge, an organization that partners with universities in Africa to design and prototype experimental kits and lesson plans for renewable energy education. 

She wanted to develop skills for cross-cultural understanding, so she engaged in NC State’s Developing Cultural Competence (DCC) certificate program, Global Ambassador program and International Student Advisory Council (ISAC) initiatives. She attended panelist discussions and campus-wide celebrations hosted by the Women’s Center, Multicultural Student Affair, LGBTQ Pride Center, African American Cultural Center and the EcoVillage.

This process of finding community also taught her to prioritize her mental health. “It was not my nature at first to discuss mental health, accept my emotions or reach out for support. Homesickness has prompted me to work towards mindfulness, compassion, connectedness and interdependence with others around me,” she says. “It’s still a work in progress for me, but I’m really grateful for my support system here at NC State.”

Through all these experiences, she says, “I gratefully found a sense of community that came not only from non-discrimination, but also the acknowledgment and celebration of different identities.”

This summer, Masaya-anon plans to spend time visiting her family in Thailand. In the fall she will be coming back to NC State to begin graduate school in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

As Masaya-anon prepares to walk across the stage this May, she says she won’t be walking alone. “It might sound like a cliche, but I really feel that in BAE, you will never walk alone.”