Life is never easy, but it was even harder for a young woman who was born to a family of
street beggars in central Vietnam. However, with tremendous effort and a strong will, she has
ended the “beggar tradition” of her family and achieved her childhood dream of becoming a
doctor.
During her childhood, Hien’s mother carried her on her back while she begged for money
at train stations and markets for many years. Despite adversity, Hien remained one of the best
students in her school, from 1st to 12th grade. She passed the university entrance exam in 2005
with high scores and was admitted to the Faculty of Pharmacy at Thai Nguyen University, where
she was awarded scholarships to study tuition-free for six years. She graduated from the
university in June 2011 with a credit-ranked degree. Hien is now studying in an MA course also
in pharmacy at the Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University and is scheduled to
defend her thesis next year.