Pu Reh was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, in the midst of a civil war. When Reh was just three years old, his parents moved to San Antonio.
SAN ANTONIO — The story of Pu Reh, a refugee from Thailand, is not only inspirations, but a tribute to what one can accomplish with hard work and dedication.
From escaping a civil war in the jungles of Thailand, to valedictorian at Lanier High School, Reh is inspiring a generation.
Reh’s story began in the state of Kayah, in the jungles of Thailand, among the Karenni people.
Reh was born in a refugee camp during a civil war.
“There it’s basically the jungle. All the houses were handmade, like the schools, they’re all handmade from the resources from the jungle,” said Pu Reh.
Reh says his parent knew Thailand was not where they wanted to raise a family. They knew more opportunities were in America. When Reh was three years old, they moved to San Antonio.
However, moving to the U.S. didn’t instantly solve their problems.
Language barriers limited his parents to assembly jobs, but that didn’t matter, their son was in a better place.
“They sacrificed like their own dreams for me,” said Reh.
The language barrier was also an obstacle for Reh, who remembers crying, refusing to get on the school bus because he couldn’t understand his teachers and classmates.
“it was like it was like a puzzle, I could never like solve. So then I watched a lot of TV shows at home. I watched a lot of WWE commentaries, and then I connected it to school,” said Reh.
As he figured it out, Reh says his parents volunteered to help build homes for others, through Habitat for Humanity. The family was given an opportunity to own their own home on the west side, in SAISD.
“So then 3rd grade is when I got here. I went to school at J.T Brack, then I went to Tafoya, then I went to Lanier,” said Reh.
During his freshman year at Lanier, Reh says he found out he was ranked 7th in his class. Reh says he was told if he finished 1st, he would get to speak at graduation, so he thought he should go for number one.
“So I just put my 100% into education. So late nights just staying up writing essays. Hours locked in my room away from my family, just doing homework, especially physics,” said Reh.
The stress was worth it.
In front of thousands at Alamo Stadium, Valedictorian Pu Reh, shared his story. For a few moments, he spoke his native language of Karenni, with love and gratitude for their sacrifice.
“I want to show how much I appreciated them and especially my grandma cause she knows zero English. And when she finally heard familiar words, I feel like that really showed her that she was appreciated.”
As a Quest Bridge Scholar, Reh will attend Rice University on a full scholarship, pursing a degree in international relations. Reh hopes to bring communities together.
“Today I have a dream. My purpose is to become a diplomat, who advocates for those without a voice and works to ensure, that someday the horrors of war will someday end,” said Reh.
As he takes his next steps forward, he leaves this message behind.
“No matter who you are, where you come from, don’t let where you began determine where you end. Let’s show the world that 78207, can achieve greatness,” said Reh.