Leveraging scholarships and awards granted by the Da Nang Study Encouragement Association have helped poor students continue their studies and make their dreams come true. Here are some inspiring stories about poor students who have overcome the challenges of poverty to excel academically with financial aid from these resources.

Scholarships considered a very precious gift

Coming from a humble background, Tong Thi Thanh Tuyen, 22, a resident of Ngu Hanh Son District’s Hoa Quy Ward, is one of the outstanding students in the Da Nang University of Economics as she won first prize in the Da Nang Leadership Competition 2020 and many awards and certificates of merit from national to municipal level contests. Despite facing challenges being raised by a single mom with leg disability, she managed to pursue her education.

Loving her mother, she tried her best to study hard to achieve good academic results, and overcame all hurdles to ensure she stayed in school. She has been honored as an excellent student in the primary and high school years, and at the four-year university. She is currently working at the Youth Union Office of the University of Da Nang. To achieve the above achievements, in addition to spiritual support from her mother, Tuyen has already received financial aid twice from the ‘Nurturing dreams’ scholarships funded by the Da Nang Study Encouragement Association. The scholarships were considered a precious gift to assist her to pay for her education and living expenses.

"My family lives in poverty, so it seemed that I had to drop out of university due to financial reasons. However, my mother encouraged me to continue my studies. Especially, I was very happy to receive the ‘Nurturing dreams’ scholarships twice with an amount of VND 10 million each in the 2020 - 2021 and 2021 – 2022 school years to help pay for tuition fees and help me achieve my dream," Thanh Tuyen said.

Timely financial support

Raised in the Da Nang SOS Children's Village, Hoang Quang Nam is currently in his final year at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies of the Da Nang University of Education. He has overcome the challenges to excel in his studies, and his efforts have finally paid off. He has been honored as an excellent student in the primary and high school years. He bagged consolation prize for excellent students in the municipal- level History Competition for twelfth graders. After becoming enrolled into the university, Nam left the Da Nang SOS Children's Village to start an independent life. He faced financial hardship as he struggled to pay for his education and living expenses.

I had intended to drop out of university due to financial problems when I was in my first year at the Da Nang University of Education. However, I have received the scholarship amount of VND 60 million from the "Nurturing the Dream" scholarships in the two school years so that I could pursue my dream to continue my studies in the university. Nam hopes to become a tour guide after graduating from university. After achieving economic stability, he will help unfortunate children at the Da Nang SOS Children's Village.

Awards Motivate Excellence

Van Duc Truong Giang, a resident of Son Tra District, is now 19 years old, and currently in the Military Medical Academy. He was honored as one of the city's outstanding and typical students when he was in grades 8, 9 and 12. In addition, Giang received the Huynh Thuc Khang award when he was in grades 9 and 12. Furthermore, he has won honors and awards multiple times in Information Technology National Awards. He was honored as a top student while he was in grades 10, 11, 12, as well as a top student at the Phan Chau Trinh Senior High School.

Recently, Giang has successfully passed the entrance exam in the first year of the Military Medical Academy. He hopes to follow in my father's footsteps to work as a doctor in a military environment in order to treat patients and save lives in the future. He said that the awards and scholarships granted by the Da Nang Study Encouragement Association have motivated and inspired him to excel in his studies.

Reporting by NGOC QUOC – translating by H.L