Traveling to the East of Bhutan to visit yak herding nomads who live hours away from the next village, we overnighted at a guesthouse run by monks. And here I had an encounter that makes this trip different from any other journey I had taken so far: I met Tshering. Walking around the grounds of the guesthouse I ran into a group of 4 young girls and started chatting with them.All Bhutanese students learn English so it was easy to have a conversation with them.These girls were friends from the neighboring small town, had just finished Highschool and were eagerly awaiting to hear whether they qualified for scholarships from the government. Even though the cost of attending college is very low compared to what we are used to in the States,their families could not afford  it without help. I asked the girls what their plans were and all of them wanted to have a good education so they had a chance to find well paying jobs and not depend on a husband to take care of them. They showed such a great sense of determination and strength! Later on I shared this encounter with Kutira who immediately thought it would be wonderful if some of us would step up to help these girls reach their goals. I thought that was a wonderful idea: my own sons were 19 and 22 and wasn’t it just fortunate they were able to study without financial worries? So the next day I told Tshering who had been the most outspoken of the girls, someone I immediately connected with, that no matter whether she got a scholarship or not I would make sure she could attend college.What would amount to the cost of my vacation could make a huge difference in her life in Bhutan…..we exchanged email addresses and a few months later I heard back from her.She got the scholarship that covered her school, housing and food but left no money for a laptop or a phone. So that’s where I stepped in with the promise to be there when needed as long as she is studying.For the last 7 years I have watched her grow, expand her knowledge of what’s possible , dream big and work hard. We write mails or text regularly, her English is fluent now and we share stories about our lives. By now she has graduated college with a BA in Enviromental Sciences, moved to Australia for a Master in Sustainable Development and is now pursuing a nursing degree because she found a passion for elder care while working in a hospital. She asks me what I consider the most important things for a happy life, while pondering whether she should stay in Australia to make money to send home or go back to her family and the country she loves. I have become something like a dear auntie she can turn to with questions about life. I know that my financial contributions have made things possible for her she would not have dreamed of doing otherwise and she is grateful for that, but mostly it’s knowing that I believe in her, that’s of the greatest value . I deeply cherish our connection and as a mother of sons it has been my enormous joy and privilege to become part of her life and play a tiny part in the education of a new generation of empowered Bhutanese women.”