I’m currently going to school [studying Business English at a college in Ho Chi Minh City] and working. At first, when I came to Ho Chi Minh City, I did not know anyone, so I had to figure out what kind of part-time jobs I qualified for and how much they paid. I have learned a lot from working and found that Pacific Links Foundation has taught me many things that I find very useful now which I found unrealistic when I was in high school. I could not imagine that life in Ho Chi Minh City could be so hard; my sister had to sell her wedding ring to give me 8 million VND to pay for my school fees and housing. There was a time when I did not call home because I did not want my parents to send money (by borrowing it from someone or selling things). After finishing high school, my mother asked me to find work near home, but I wanted to go to school. I want to prove to my mother that I chose the right path and I believe that I can do it.
My family’s economic circumstances are more difficult than before. My mother suffers from arthritis and her legs ache every time she walks a lot so she could no longer sell things two times a day as before. My mother’s legs hurt so much that each month she goes to the hospital, which costs 1,500,000 VND per month. She continues to sell sandwiches in the morning to earn money, which my family depends on, about 70,000 VND each day. There were many months when my mother refused to go to the hospital because she was afraid of the cost. I would like to thank you for the support I have received in the past 5 years to help me continue to go to school.
Academic Scholarship Recipient
