The
director of Chiang Mai International School (CMIS) is a small
effervescent Thai lady, Supaporn Yanasarn. She is a woman who is
proud of her achievements, but has a simple humility, having
committed her life to her God. She speaks fervently of the love
in her heart, the love of her Lord Jesus, and a love that she
wants to spread to the children under her educational umbrella.
I should also point out that the love she speaks of is
non-sectarian.
That Supaporn should become a teacher would
come as no shock for anyone who knows her family. Her
grandparents were teachers, as were her parents. She has two
siblings, and both are also teachers. Pedagogy runs in the
genes.
However, something else runs in her genetic
code. Both her grandparents were pastors in their church and her
mother also taught in Sunday school. Supaporn would go with her
and help with the lessons. “I though it was so-o-o-o much fun,
especially the scriptures,” said Supaporn, eyes lighting up
with the memories.
When she was 14 years old she said she
experienced her Lord and decided to commit her life to her God.
“The Lord touched me and has been there for every step to
university and beyond,” she said simply. Committed people do
not need to produce detailed explanations.
She finished her schooling at the Prince
Royal’s College with grades good enough to take her on to
university. She went to Chiang Mai University (CMU) and
describes herself as a pioneer. “This was the first year of
Education and I majored in English and minored in teaching
Thai.” This took four years of her life, but there was no
mistaking her enthusiasm that was still there for the
undergraduate experience which culminated in her Bachelor of
Arts (Education).
Her choice of English as her major was also
interesting, stemming from classroom experiences with Christian
Volunteer Teachers (CVT’s in the ed bizz). As a young teenager
she was going through the usual self-doubts and introspection.
The middle child in her family, she felt that she was the least
loved, as all ‘Wednesday’s children’ do, as she put it.
The CVT’s understood what she was going through and were
supportive of this young teenager, and one day in Grade 10 she
was invited to the front of the school room to explain an
English phrase on the blackboard. She was warmly applauded by
her school classmates (undoubtedly with the backing of the CVT)
and made up her mind there and then on another future aspect of
her life. “I wanted to be an English teacher!”
With her new degree and confidence from the
love of her Lord in her heart, she returned to her alma mater,
to join the teaching staff at Prince Royal’s College. There
she taught both English and Thai for a period of 18 years, but
with English predominating.
During this time at Prince Royal’s College
she also took another very positive step forwards in the
development of her own faith. She enrolled at McGilvary Faculty
of Theology at Payap University. This was two years part-time
and then she took a break from Prince Royal’s College to study
Theology full time for another two years. This gave her a
Master’s degree in Divinity, graduating in 1990, and she
accepted the position as chaplain of the school, in addition to
her becoming the assistant director for student affairs.
This was quite a commitment. She had become
the minister for her Lord for 6,000 students and 300 teachers,
of which the vast majority were non-Christians. After all, this
is a predominantly Buddhist country. But for Supaporn, this did
not matter. “I have love in my heart. Love means loyalty to
the Lord. Love means an opportunity to share values. Love gives
an opportunity to learn. I just work together with all people
for God’s purpose.”
Supaporn certainly took the opportunity to
learn herself, taking many training courses over the next few
years, including attendance at the 11th biennial conference on
the theme Counselling for Human Development in the 21st Century,
going on an exchange program with the Hopkins Education
Association in Minnesota, USA and completed the Christian
Education study and visited churches in Korea, taking part in
the Uniting Church in Australia’s South Australian Synod and
even the Amsterdam conference of preaching evangelists run by
the famous Billy Graham organization, in the year 2000. She was
also the vice-president of the Christian Women’s department of
the Church of Christ in Thailand, visiting Burma (Myanmar), USA,
Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Taiwan
and Melbourne, Australia. Supaporn’s Lord has certainly given
her a travel itinerary that any seasoned traveller would be
proud of!
By the turn of the century, it looked as if
Supaporn was a fixture at Prince Royal’s College, studying and
receiving her Master of Arts degree in Education Administration
in addition to all her other academic qualifications. However,
that was not to be, as she was approached by CMIS to take over
as director of the school. She agonized over this decision, and
then did what would be expected of a committed Christian - she
prayed to her God. She prayed for five months until she received
her sign. Her ability to teach languages was her personal gift
from her God, and she believed this was something she should
take to CMIS and the decision was made. She went into training
for one year and has now taken on the onerous task of director.
With CMIS celebrating 50 years, Supaporn
wants to unite her students who come from 23 different
countries. “You integrate 23 nationalities from the heart, not
from the head,” said Supaporn. “To make this happen, I need
the right teachers, be they Christian or Buddhist, but teachers
who understand the mission of the school.”
She has six years before she retires, but I have the decided
feeling that Supaporn, with the help from her God, will make an
indelible mark at CMIS.
