How Buddhism Drew PCP Director to Myanmar
In 2017, Buddhism drew Danielle Purkey, the Academic Director of the Pre-Collegiate Program of Yangon (PCP), to Myanmar. By then she had already studied Buddhism in India, Thailand, and Nepal, so her position as English teacher immersed in the monastic community of 50-plus Buddhist nuns at Dhamma Moli Buddhist Education Center in Yangon fit nicely. She even temporarily ordained as a Buddhist nun for a month to deepen her knowledge of Buddhism and meditation.
“It was an insightful and transformative year of my life,” says Dani, who shaved her head and collected alms as a Buddhist novice.
When that stint finished, Dani hadn’t had enough of Myanmar, so she signed on as faculty member at PCP, teaching gender studies and counseling students seeking admission--and scholarships--to colleges in the U.S. and Asia. She socialized with her Buddhist nun friends, often going to Shwedagon together to meditate or celebrate the full moon.
Dani thought she was done with Myanmar when that PCP position ended in January 2020, but that was not to be. Instead, by May 2021, Dani was back working at PCP, albeit remotely this time because of the pandemic and Myanmar’s political crisis. Now she’s teaching again, this time on Zoom from New York, and serving as director of academics for the need-blind Yangon college preparatory school for high school graduates.
Dani earned a bachelor’s degree in religion and ethnic studies from Michigan’s Kalamazoo College. Since restarting at PCP in May, she has completed a graduate certificate in college counseling at Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York.
The following interview with Dani has been edited:
Q: What lured you back to PCP after being away for a year?
Dani: The students, undoubtedly. We work with the most brilliant, hard-working students. I am moved by them and constantly inspired. I believe in their ability to bring change to Myanmar, which of course is one of PCP’s goals, to train changemakers for Myanmar’s future.
Q: These are difficult times in Myanmar. How is the PCP program adapting?
Dani: For one thing, I’m in New York, another faculty member is stuck in Thailand on her way to Vietnam, and still another is in St. Louis. We have one Burmese faculty in Yangon. The entire program is remote, running on Zoom, email, social media, and Internet chat.
We are teaching to where the students are. Remember that our students, at least those studying from Kachin, Chin and Shan states, are in an active combat zone. Two of our students have fled their homes for safety.
Q: Internet access in Myanmar has been spotty at times. How is all this remote studying working for the students?
Dani: Surprisingly well. Internet isn’t always available 24/7, especially outside of Yangon and Mandalay, but electricity isn’t always available either.
For students who are having trouble, we’ve added extra tutoring and connecting students with each other as a form of support for students who need academic help.
First and foremost, the well-being of our students guides all that I do. The biggest pivot is that I check in with every student regularly, at least every two weeks. We pay attention to their mental health. We recognize the impact of isolation in a country that’s near civil war.
Q: How are students responding to remote learning?
Dani: It’s very different than in a physical classroom. Our students show an intense feeling and community among themselves. They’re very friendly with each other. This is by far the most hard-working and driven PCP cohort of the three I have taught. They are grateful to have a cohort and feel more optimistic about the future. Their peers are floundering because they’re not in a program. I think a structured program has been vital for our students.
That outcome also speaks to the power of a liberal arts education and our discussion-based classes and emphasis on critical thinking. The material for classes and the questions haven’t changed. Students are still asked to think outside the box, and we still emphasize creativity.
Q: Civic engagement and public service have always been hallmarks of PCP. Can you continue those elements in the current environment?
Dani: Unfortunately, those kind of fell by the wayside for the last group of students, who were supposed to start their internships just as the military coup happened. This year we’re bringing on faculty for internships and leadership development. It will be more global with remote internships, but we will still try to get students assigned to opportunities in Myanmar. Supervising interns can take a lot of time for a host, and a lot of Myanmar organizations don’t have the capacity to do that.
Q: I keep thinking about your students, studying at home on a computer when it may not be safe for them to go out. How are they handling isolation?
Dani: We assign a lot of group work, so the students get together, online of course, on projects. And they have their own group chats, and they seem to have formed close friendships. We started a poetry group. We’re looking for fun, structured, engaging group activities.
When you have critically thinking students, they look around and see how to apply those skills. Through college counseling, people are asked to look at who they are and what they want to be.
Q: How do students react to your gender studies class?
Dani: The students find the class illuminating. Why do some bodies move through the world more easily than others? They look at how people fit together and how societies function as a whole--it’s new to the students.
Q: How do you feel about your geographic separation from Myanmar?
Dani: It’s challenging at times, and I’m grateful for my previous Myanmar experience. It has pushed me to connect with the students and be super-present. This job would not be doable if I had no prior experience with Myanmar. I would love to be back in person, but it still doesn’t seem plausible. Yet.