Occupation: Student

Country of Birth: Mongolia

Current: Lincolnshire, IL

“I worried people were judging me just for being Asian. But after a while, I realized that there are so many different people here that no one actually cared.”

Bayarmagnai was born in rural Mongolia; his family moved to Ulaanbaatar, the capital, when he was just a month old. Growing up, Bayarmagnai went to school and played a lot of volleyball.

The decision to move to the US was driven by several factors: better medical care for his younger sister who has epilepsy, many people his family knew, and better education. In Mongolia, Bayarmagnai’s family was upper class—his mother was a teacher, and his father was a pilot. However, relocating meant leaving behind their lifestyle, including their homes, cars, and careers. The thirteen-hour flight to Chicago in 2023 marked Bayarmagnai’s first time leaving Mongolia, a life-changing experience filled with both excitement and nervousness.

Arriving in the US, Bayarmagnai was struck by the diversity and scale of everything. The first few weeks were tough as he adjusted to a new culture and worried about discrimination. School was another big adjustment. Bayarmagnai skipped ninth grade due to his late arrival and had to navigate the American education system, which was far more flexible than Mongolia’s structured schooling. Homework was rarely graded, and elective courses offered new opportunities.

Basketball became a new passion, though Bayarmagnai quickly realized American kids had a head start. While he did not make any teams initially, he played with friends after school, using the sport to connect with others. Looking ahead, Bayarmagnai dreams of starting a successful business, whether in the US or Mongolia.