Stay Strong, Stay Smart
Life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges at us, whether it’s navigating big life transitions, dealing with tough decisions, or figuring out our next steps. Building inner strength and learning how to solve problems creatively isn’t just nice to have; it’s essential for surviving and thriving as young people today.
On November 8, 2025, young people gathered for COMPASS Episode 2: Stay Strong, Stay Smart! Our first resource person, Ma Eve Nan, shared her personal life journey, inspiring us not to get stuck when hard times hit, but to use those moments to boost our self-worth and capabilities. Our second facilitator, Ko San Win Aung, led an interactive session on step-by-step problem-solving through real-life scenarios. To put our new skills to the test, we jumped into a fast-paced team challenge: building a tower out of instant noodles! Through the fun chaos, we learned firsthand how to negotiate under pressure and think on our feet as a team.
“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.”— J.K. Rowling