As part of Tulsa's Growing Myanmar/Zomi Community ORU's Christine Kam Brings Her Culture to Campus

"Tulsa, Oklahoma's second largest city, [is] known as 'Zomi Town' or 'Zomi USA' because it is the largest concentration of Zomi people in the U.S. Many Zomis in Tulsa and its surrounding suburbs have arrived and resettled because of their Christian faith. Many in the Tulsa Zomi community point to Chin Do Kham as the catalyst. Kham came to Tulsa to study and graduated from Oral Roberts University."-NBC News

The Zomi people are a minority ethnic group from the nation of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Approximately 7,000 to 9,000 Zomis call Tulsa home, creating a close-knit community that's been growing for over 50 years. With this growth, more and more Zomi/Myanmar students are attending Oral Roberts University (ORU). One of these students, Christine Kam, currently serves as president of ORU's Myanmar Student Fellowship.

"Before I moved to Tulsa and enrolled at ORU," Christine said, "I rarely spoke the Zomi language. But in ORU's Myanmar community, I've become more comfortable speaking it. Here, I'm surrounded by people from Myanmar who are my age and who are influenced by their Christian beliefs. On campus, the Myanmar students are very close-we treat each other like family."

Choosing to Act, Learning to Lead

Christine, who was born and raised in the United States, came to ORU seeking a university that nurtures both education and spirituality. It was something her parents wanted for her-a place where her faith would continue to grow and academics are world-renowned. For Christine, spiritual growth comes from a campus that encourages prayer, but she says there's another important part to this growth: faith through action.

"I want to engage with others," Christine said, "and I think becoming an action person is impactful. Sometimes, we have to take steps to put our prayers into motion. It might mean working to make a difference in the community or in the world. When we act, people hear about it, they know about it, and they're encouraged by it."

As an action person, Christine accepted the role of president for the Myanmar Student Fellowship, a decision that was strongly influenced by one of her classes. That class was "Spirit-Empowered Living," which is taught by ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson. Christine points to this class as having helped her develop into a student leader at ORU.

"In class," Christine said, "I was challenged to learn about myself, to understand my strengths and weaknesses. President Wilson taught me skills from the Bible, leadership skills that I can take into the real world. What I learned are lessons that I can apply if I want to become something bigger and grow beyond the person I am today."

Connecting with ORU's International Community

Christine has helped grow the Myanmar Student Fellowship to approximately 40 on-campus students, with more online. This growth is part of ORU's international identity, one that's recognized around the world for its diversity and culture. Over the last four years, students from 152 nations have been represented at ORU, and in 2024, Niche ranked ORU one of the Top 25 "Most Diverse Colleges in America."

"There are so many international students on campus," Christine said," and our group is working to build relationships within this big community. A lot of my good friends are international students, and for some of them, Myanmar traditions might seem surprising. Myanmar culture isn't as well-known as Korean or Japanese culture so to show how great it is, we're trying to include ORU's different nationalities, ethnic groups, and backgrounds. We want to connect people with Myanmar culture so they can see how unique and special it is."

For Christine, connecting with people is an important part of college life. As a student, she recognizes that college shouldn't be done alone. She says that when students are trying to navigate their world, which sometimes can be difficult, it's essential to have others around for moral and emotional support.

"A lot of Myanmar students find their connections in ORU's Prayer Sets," Christine said. "In fact, there's a new one on campus called Asian Intercessions. Seeking out these personal connections can be very helpful. The students at ORU are smart and hardworking, but some of them don't realize they need a little bit of community. Because it's not just education that's important; people are important too."

Christine and ORU's Myanmar Student Fellowship

UNIVERSITY BRIEF

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 15 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 152 nations in the last four years to be whole leaders for the whole world.

The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #8 university in the nation for student experience and one of America's Best Colleges (2024). This new category rates the best colleges in the U.S. to have a great experience while attending. This ranking is powered by one of the largest ever independent surveys of verified college students and recent graduates in the United States. Niche recognizes ORU as one of the top 25 most diverse colleges in America, # 1 best Christian college in Oklahoma, and # 1 in Oklahoma for diversity. Princeton Review ranked ORU as the best regional college, and College Raptor ranked ORU as a Hidden Gem in the Southwest.

ORU has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as:

• #1 in Undergraduate Teaching
• #2 in Most International Students
• #3 in Best Value
• #6 in Best College for Veterans
• #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West

For more information, visit www.oru.edu.