From Shy Bystander to Varsity Dancer:
Shi Min Min's Journey
There’s a quote by Roy T. Bennett, author of The Light in the Heart: “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” It has a nice ring to it—heart-warming and true. I think it accurately reflects my mission at Silver Lining: to help the boys and girls we serve discover their dreams and give them the courage to pursue them.
My name is Jeremy Kim, and I work alongside the youth at Silver Lining Family Village in Myanmar, helping to facilitate some of our youth programs. It’s a blessing to walk with them—to observe their lives, to share in their struggles, and to witness their dreams slowly take shape.
Today, I'll be talking about one girl in particular: Shi Min Min.
When I first met her, she was young and meek—distant, yet curious—watching as a bystander with a shy interest. During the early days of Dare2Dream, she would sit in the audience while her older sisters danced on stage, secretly wishing it could be her.
She envied them most when they traveled to Yangon for dance boot camps, opportunities she longed for herself. Deep down, Shi Min Min dreamed of becoming a dance superstar. She drew inspiration from her favorite actress, Zhao Lu Si, whose charm and boundless confidence seemed worlds away from her own quiet personality.
So she signed up for the junior varsity dance class, eager to begin her own journey. She enjoyed the practices, and her teacher encouraged her with constructive feedback. She felt she was finally on the right path. But her progress was interrupted when she had to relocate to another city for a year. Dare2Dream classes were suspended during that time, and she worried that her chance might have slipped away.
When the program resumed in 2025, the new class rosters were announced. To her astonishment, Shi Min Min’s name was listed on the varsity dance team. She couldn’t believe it and even asked twice to be sure. She had never imagined herself good enough to make the cut.
But self-doubt quickly set in. “What if they realize I’m not good enough? What if I mess up? What if I drag the team down?” Those thoughts haunted her during the first few practices. Sometimes, she would freeze when glancing at her reflection in the mirror, forgetting the next move. She doesn’t like to look at herself in the mirror. According to her, she feels that it looks comical, focusing instead on her legs or body. She felt like an imposter—afraid that she could not live up to the expectations of her team, her teachers, or even herself.
One day, she confided in me about these fears. She told me she felt out of place, like she didn’t belong in the varsity group. I reassured her in the way any older brother would—with a playful flick to the forehead and a reminder that she was chosen for a reason. Her teachers and leaders saw something in her, even if she couldn’t yet see it herself.
She hopes to be more brave in the future, to move forward with confidence. To be able to see herself in the mirror not as something comical, but as something to be proud of. Whether or not, she actualizes dreams to become a dance superstar, she wishes to one day see reflected back a girl brimming with confidence. She hopes to dare to dream.
