''Thai heartthrob Yaya says education is the most important''

Yaya or Urassaya Sperbund, a Thai-Norwegian actress is one of the rising stars in Thailand. The nineteen-year-old has started her acting career in 2010 and in only one year her face has appeared everywhere from highway billboards, TVs, magazines, and Internet. She has received a long list of teen awards and been nominated in most Thai media polls.

Yaya is also a student at the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. 

As part of the ‘Youth Empowerment through Mobile Learning’ project, UNESCO Bangkok is interviewing Thai celebrities and influential persons including singers, actors and actresses and business persons about their self-motivation, life goals and career planning, and on how they became successful.  Yaya talks about the importance of education and encourages students in informal and non-formal education to pursue their study and reach out for their goals.

Do you have a life goal? 
“Of course, everyone has some sort of goals in life. For me, my biggest goal, and also the goal of my parents, is to graduate from university and get a bachelor’s degree and, if possible, a master’s as well. My other goal in life is to be a good person and to be happy. These are my principle goals in life - to get good education, be happy, and be a good person.”

How do you plan to reach your goals?  

'' If we set our minds on anything we want to do, we can achieve it, no matter what. Basically, there is no one who can force you to go to school and make you achiveve your goals, unless you actually try. I think that is the main way to achieve your goals. Also the surroundings, I have good friends and family. Therefore, I have the will to achieve my goals.''

At the moment, you are working and also studying at the same time. How do you motivate yourself when being discourage, depressed or facing obstacles?
''It's true that sometimes when there are a lot pressures you feel like ''why is everything so hard, why does life have to be so difficult?'' But if you turn around and just look at the better parts of you life, there is always a good way of regarding things. If you put your mind at a good place you can think of good things, positive things and you might be able to turn away from the sad or stressful situations. So, sometimes when I'm feeling stressed, I turn on happy songs, look in the mirror and smile. That actually helps a lot. You might feel a bit weird standing in front of the mirror and looking at yourself, but it does help. Also, your surroundings your family, friends can be a good ''Gamlungjai'' (encouragement)

And, oh, chocolate is a good thing. It produces for you endorphins. I think if you have the strength inside, you will be able to overcome any sadness or any depression.''

Can you give a message to youth in the Non-Formal Education Programme by emphasizing lifelong learning and psychological development? 
''I think that the most important thing in life, really, is education. You can't get away unless you know what's going on around you. Because I've never been not to school, my whole entire life was in school, every single day. I think education is all around us and you can find something that can educate you from your surroundings. For example, there are always public libraries. Reading is a good way of boosting your education. Getting ''world-knowledge'' is important. 

I think people who do not have the change to get education; I want more people to help, basically because education is the most important thing that can get you forward in life. 

Again, education is all around us. You don't need to be a book-smart to be successful but you can be street-smart. You can be smart about the stuff around you and you can manage yourself'' 

THE END 
Interviewed by Preeya Poopichayapongse and transcribed by Jisu Kim, UNESCO Bangkok)  

Dear readers, please vote for yaya! all you have to do is follow this link: www.daradaily.com/darapoll after you have enter the site you will be able to see 10 different name alternative to vote for. And to vote for Yaya, you need to choose the 3rd alternative on the list. After that you click on to Vote. Please vote ^^