22 year old girl returns to find 6th grade letters

Learning is never enough, nor is it too late. And Huynh Le Nhu Quynh (living in Tan Tao ward, Ho Chi Minh City) despite being 22 years old, still overcame her fear to go back to school to study 6th grade. She is determined to go to university before the age of 30.

Nhu Quynh decided to go back to 6th grade at the age of 22 - Photo: AN VI

Ring ring ring... The school bell rang at the Vocational Education - Continuing Education Center of District 6. Groups of students rushed into the classroom, with Nhu Quynh, with her older, more mature appearance, lurking behind, looking for words.

22 years old, repeat 6th grade

At the age of 22, when her peers were sitting in their final year of university thinking about the future, Nhu Quynh was still struggling with 6th grade math problems that she had left unfinished for many years.

Quynh's life is like a series of difficult math problems. Having lost her parents since childhood, she had to solve the problem of making a living when her grandmother became seriously ill and passed away, leaving her alone in the city.

But for Quynh, the problem called "going back to school" is the most difficult test she has just started to solve. "My decision to go back to school is very simple, I often study at home, read a lot and also love to write. Sometimes when I read, there are places I don't understand, when I write, I don't know what is correct spelling, what is standard writing style... So I decided to go back to school" - Quynh was emotional when talking about her decision to go back to school.

At first glance at Quynh standing next to her 6th grade students, many people might think she is a parent going to school or a... teacher. In reality, under her coat is a uniform that fits Quynh perfectly, and in her bag are 6th grade books that she should have learned 10 years ago.

We met Quynh in class during her computer science class. The class had more than 40 students, the 22-year-old girl was the easiest to recognize because her appearance was completely different from the youngest students who were just over 10 years old sitting next to her.

Quynh had dark circles under her eyes from staying up late to study and waking up early to go to work. Since returning to school, Quynh often stayed up late to do homework that she had left unfinished many years ago.

When she was in school, Quynh did not smile much. The few times we saw Quynh smile, her eyes were still filled with thoughts and not as innocent as her classmates in class 6C.

Having no relatives and not much time like her classmates, Quynh feels lucky to be able to study.

Recalling the moment she decided to return to school, Quynh said she hesitated a lot. Her only baggage was fear: fear of not being able to absorb the lessons anymore, fear of being teased by friends, fear of not being able to arrange the time...

"When I stood in front of the school, my eyes were filled with tears. My steps were not as strong as I thought, because I was afraid of myself, afraid of not being able to pay for tuition in the coming years when I stopped my main job to go to school. But I love my dream, I love learning, so at this point I did not back down anymore" - Quynh affirmed that she would still go to school, even if she had to work harder and harder.

Quynh also imagined the worst scenario, she could sell platelets to earn money for living and going to school, maybe work for hire, wash dishes... "I have to try to go to university before I turn 30" - Quynh said with determination, because that is not only a goal but also the biggest dream of her life.

Quynh's handwriting is shaky because of a long interruption in her studies.

Childhood collecting scrap metal and selling lottery tickets with grandmother

Quynh’s childhood was special, just like the way she chose to repeat 6th grade at the age of 22. Quynh was born without a father, then one day her mother had a new family and sent her to her grandmother to take care of her. The two of them depended on each other in a cramped rented room in the old Binh Thanh district.

Every day, Quynh followed her grandmother around the alleys to sell lottery tickets and collect scrap metal. The money they earned was just enough to cover their rent, and their meals sometimes went hungry and sometimes full. There were nights when they ran out of money, so the two of them went to the market to pick up the wilted vegetables people left behind, and gathered them to cook for the day.

In that difficult time, her grandmother's only wish was for her granddaughter to go to school. So after a long day of hard work, Quynh went to evening classes.

"Back then, I studied at Thanh My Tay school. Sometimes I felt so sad because my friends were picked up and dropped off by their parents, wearing pretty uniforms, while I had to go to school alone. I didn't understand why I had to study at night. I just listened to my grandmother and went," Quynh tearfully confided.

But the joy of school was short-lived, Quynh's grandmother suffered a stroke, paralyzing half of her body. She could no longer work and had to go to a temple to seek refuge in Buddhism. At that time, Quynh had just finished 5th grade, the burden of making a living fell on the shoulders of a skinny 11-year-old girl. So studying became an unfinished dream every night, after struggling to make ends meet.

The girl has worked hard everywhere, doing all kinds of jobs from working at restaurants, serving coffee, working at the fried chicken counter, helping sell banh xeo... With a monthly salary of only a few million VND, she still saves up and sends a part to the temple so her grandmother can have some medicine.

When her grandmother passed away, Quynh was taken in by her cousin out of pity.

"When I first came home, she held my hand and carefully wrote each letter, correcting my spelling mistakes. She also taught me math and English. Living with her, I was given a place to stay and food to eat. The rest, like eating out or taking care of myself, I took care of myself. I also helped with housework, electricity and water bills to help her," Quynh said.

Entering adulthood, Quynh began to look for a new path. She took advantage of social networks to find jobs, doing all kinds of jobs from small retail to store and supermarket staff. Thanks to the accumulated skills and tactful speaking skills, Quynh boldly tried her hand at the position of product marketing staff.

It was a step forward that even she did not expect after a difficult childhood, earning a living every day with bare feet on the sidewalk.

Looking back on the journey, Quynh admits that there were times when she felt like giving up, the loneliness of missing her parents was always there. Thanks to her grandmother's love, she learned to be resilient. Quynh always tells herself that every difficulty is just a problem, a test for her to solve and become more mature.

Although life is still full of challenges ahead, Quynh's eyes always shine with faith. That faith was nurtured from a difficult childhood, from her grandmother's heart, from each faltering step on the path of making a living and from her never-ending desire to learn.

It's easy to recognize the 22-year-old girl among the students at school - Photo: AN VI

MSc. Dang Ngoc Thu, Director of the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education in District 6, said that when receiving Nhu Quynh's application to study, the school highly appreciated her eagerness to learn.

"Quynh's feelings and her love of learning are also typical of many students at our center. Quynh's learning ability may not be as fast as her peers, but I believe her will is indisputable" - Ms. Dang Ngoc Thu added.

On the school's side, Ms. Thu affirmed that teachers always create the most favorable conditions for students to study in a good, safe environment, and provide maximum support so that learning is not difficult.

In addition, the school always has scholarships for difficult cases like Nhu Quynh so that they have more motivation and financial resources to continue pursuing their dreams.

"I also hope that in the near future, Quynh will try harder to fulfill her dream of studying" - Ms. Thu shared more.

When tired, Quynh often writes a few verses of poetry to encourage herself: "Yellow autumn leaves, white uniform, clear eyes/ Ten years of learning, a hundred years of being human".

For her, studying is just a short journey but will change her whole life. This may be normal for many other friends, but for Quynh it is a great joy, because at the age of 22, she can go back to grade 6.

NGOC SANG - AN VI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-gai-tuoi-22-tro-lai-tim-con-chu-lop-6-20250926100554374.htm