From refugee to Boettcher scholar: Aurora high school senior overcomes years of lost schooling

When Yoshu Ngwa arrived in the United States three years ago, he felt like he was already running behind.

"I always felt like I was running late in a race," Ngwa said. "My peers were already ahead of me… and I was still tying my shoe."

Now, the Gateway High School senior is about to graduate near the top of his class, and as one of a select group of students statewide to earn the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship, which covers the full cost of attending a four-year college in Colorado.

Ngwa's journey to that moment spans continents, conflict and years of interrupted education.

Born in Myanmar, Ngwa fled civil war with his family when he was seven years old. They spent years as refugees in Malaysia, where access to consistent schooling was limited. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Ngwa said he had to drop out of school in seventh grade.

"As someone who didn't have access to proper internet, it was very challenging for me to take online classes," he said.

In 2023, at age 16, Ngwa and his family legally immigrated to the United States, settling in Aurora. He enrolled at Gateway High School as a sophomore, effectively skipping ninth grade despite missing years of formal education. That meant catching up quickly.

"I had to try really hard to catch up to my peers, and it was a very, very tough journey," he said.

Ngwa took on extra classes and leaned into every opportunity he could find, from tutoring to concurrent enrollment.

"What motivated me the most is the advantages that the United States offers for high school students," he said. "Access to school, tutoring, even free college classes...I didn't take any of that for granted."

His workload quickly grew beyond a typical high school schedule. By the time he graduates this spring, Ngwa will have earned more than 100 college credits through the Community College of Aurora along with three associate degrees in science, biology and general studies.

He is also ranked fifth in his graduating class.

"I just kept working," he said. "Through hard work and consistency, I was able to catch up."

That drive extended beyond the classroom. Ngwa also volunteered at UCHealth, where he was introduced to the field of cardiology; an experience that helped define his future.

"Service is a part of me," he said. "Being in the medical field, especially cardiology, aligns with my dream of serving people. It's a lifetime commitment."

This fall, Ngwa will attend the University of Colorado Boulder on a pre-med track. He will be the first in his family to attend college. The Boettcher Scholarship, he said, removes a major barrier.

"I don't have to worry about financial stress and can focus on my education and the impact I want to make in the future," he said.

Outside his academic work, Ngwa also gives back to the community in Aurora — volunteering as an interpreter and helping families navigate systems he once had to learn himself. For Ngwa, his journey is not just about personal success, but about what is possible.

"I would say, you will eventually make it one day," he said. "If you have a goal, determination and put in the work."

From a disrupted education to academic distinction, Ngwa's path has been anything but traditional.

It's one he hopes others will see and believe they can follow.