80-year-old woman with 3 bachelor's degrees in Dong Thap

“At noon, I did not go home but went to a hammock shop near the school to ask young people to teach me how to use smartphones for learning applications” - Ms. Huynh Thi Thu made us admire her learning spirit when she got her third bachelor's degree at the age of nearly 80.

“Her silver hair stood out against the dark blue robe. Seeing Ms. Thu step up to the podium to receive her bachelor's degree, I felt both respect and admiration” - the introduction of Dr. Phan Ngoc Thach - former Head of the Foreign Language Department ( Dong Thap University) about the "old lady" student of the 18th class majoring in Chinese Language at the bachelor's degree ceremony seemed to "give wings" for me to set off immediately.

Nestled beside Long Sa canal, on the outskirts of Cao Lanh city (Dong Thap), we easily found Mrs. Huynh Thi Thu’s house right from the first question: “The house of a retired teacher who went to school…”. It seems that in this Capital of the Lotus Land, she is a symbol of the spirit of learning.

Contrary to my pre-departure imagination of the “brilliant” image of the teacher who caused an “earthquake” before Cao Lanh received the title of “Global Learning City” from UNESCO, in front of me, Mrs. Thu was as simple as many old ladies in the Southern countryside. With a thin figure, white hair, and a sincere voice, she easily made a good impression on people at the first meeting. But hidden deep inside that gentle, rustic appearance was an “iron will” of studiousness. In 1973, after graduating from the University of Education (Can Tho University, now Can Tho University), she became a Literature teacher in Vinh Long province and then asked to return to teach in her hometown to take care of her elderly parents. Then exactly 20 years later (1993), while many of her contemporaries were busy with their husbands and children, teacher Huynh Thi Thu embarked on a new learning journey when she registered for a bachelor's degree in English organized by the Hanoi University of Foreign Languages ​​in Dong Thap. The story originated from the fear of being left behind. "That year, I went to school to submit my nephew's application for the English university entrance exam, and I decided to register for myself too" - Ms. Thu moved us when she explained her motivation for studying for a second bachelor's degree at the age of forty. It cannot be denied that being single is a favorable condition for Ms. Thu to do what many of her colleagues find difficult, but behind that is a rare love of learning. Realizing that English is very popular in social life and schools, and remembering the times when she was a supervisor of exams, not really proficient in writing English questions on the board (previously she studied French as a foreign language), Ms. Thu decided to register to study... After 4 years of being a student at university and a teacher at high school, Ms. Thu completed the training program without having to retake any subjects. After receiving a bachelor's degree in English, Ms. Thu returned to school to continue teaching Literature until her retirement in 2007. While her "contemporaries" were enjoying their old age, surprisingly 10 years later, Ms. Thu registered to study and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Chinese Language at Dong Thap University when she was in her 80s with a very impressive ranking: Fair. This is not only a rare thing in the country. Dr. Tran Thanh Tam, lecturer of Chinese Language, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Dong Thap University) shared: "From the reality of nearly 10 years of studying abroad and many years of teaching in the country, it shows that occasionally there are old men and women who get bachelor's degrees, but perhaps Ms. Thu is the first and only case that I know of to date who has received a third bachelor's degree at the age of nearly 80". However, for Ms. Thu, learning is still ongoing: "If in the next few years, Dong Thap University opens a French major, I will register to study for a fourth bachelor's degree".

When we expressed our desire to write an article about her love of learning, Mrs. Thu poured tea for her guests, then slowly said: I want to go to school to keep up with the progress of the times, but I don't have any great achievements, I'm afraid that if I write about it, people will laugh at me..." However, just hearing her unique and strange goal of going to school, we could not contain our "professional blood" so we tried to convince her and were surprised to the point of admiration for her example of perseverance.

To get her second bachelor's degree, Ms. Thu had to work 4 times harder than her classmates. In addition to ensuring the responsibilities of a full-time student, she also had to ensure her job as a general teacher, the responsibility of "looking after" her grandchild, and directly taking care of her elderly mother who had a stroke and her elderly father who was living with her. Seeing Ms. Thu waving her hands repeatedly to express the harsh cycle of her learning journey that words could not fully convey, I suddenly thought of the image of a "warrior" in everyday life, rushing through all difficulties and challenges... However, what she made not only young people but also teachers who were teaching her look up to as an example to learn from was her decision to study and get her third bachelor's degree at the age of nearly 80. In 2018, when her parents were no longer around, her single life and her desire to learn urged her to enroll in a bachelor's degree in Chinese at Dong Thap University with a very simple purpose: to broaden her knowledge. “Life is constantly evolving, so if you don’t improve your knowledge, you will fall behind… like the proverb that I used to use to encourage my students: “Learning is like a boat going upstream, if you don’t advance, you will fall back” – Ms. Thu shared. However, unlike the thousands of times she had studied before, this time Ms. Thu was overwhelmed by the progress of the times on the first day of school. “Although I tried to imagine all the difficulties of studying for older people, I was still surprised” – Ms. Thu recalled. On the first day of school, Ms. Thu was excited and somewhat proud of her careful preparation when the day before she had gone to the bookstore to choose and buy the latest Chinese Dictionary from the publisher… However, when she entered the classroom, she suddenly felt something was wrong when all eyes turned to her thick dictionary. “After regaining my composure, I asked the young person sitting next to me… and realized that I was too behind the times because everyone was using electronic dictionaries” – Mrs. Thu was moved. Right after the end of the admission session, she took 3 million VND from her pension savings and asked her classmates who were good at technology to take her to buy a smartphone and then started learning about technology. "At noon, I did not go home but went to a hammock shop near the school, asked young people to teach me how to use a smartphone, then memorized it carefully to practice again at night, and apply it to my studies" - Mrs. Thu made me admire her studiousness. Because it was a challenging process of patience and indomitable will in the face of difficulties. Not only did she struggle to control her rough hands after many years of gardening to get used to the keyboard, ... she also had to use a magnifying glass to look at each little bit to recognize the dense letters on the phone screen ... "At times when it was so difficult that I thought I was about to give up, I remembered the teaching: "Study to be a human" and Uncle Ho's example of learning foreign languages ​​as motivation and gradually overcame the difficulties", Mrs. Thu revealed ... Thanks to that, she was able to ignite The flame of learning has become brighter and brighter during her 4-year journey in the lecture hall. Not only did she wake up early every morning to study like a student, she was also a rare case in the course when she attended all 4 school years. "Rain or shine, even though she was just riding an old bicycle, throughout the 4 years of study, Ms. Thu was always the first to arrive at class and the last to leave class" - Dr. Tam proudly explained: "Coming to class early to prepare lessons and make up questions to ask friends to answer and leaving class late because she had bigger questions to ask the teacher". The image of a white-haired old woman diligently checking each key on her phone, ready to learn from classmates who were the same age as her grandchildren... not only quickly helped Ms. Thu shorten the distance, but also created positive motivation for the teachers to teach in class. Dr. Tran Minh Tam shared: "From caring, supporting, and helping in the early days, then gradually I saw myself as Ms. Thu's little student. Her diligence… is like a “wordless lecture” that gives me more motivation in teaching, research and more.”

After 34 years of working as a teacher, Ms. Thu still keeps the passion for her profession. No longer able to go to school, she used her house as a place to "train" students in the neighborhood. "Students are not only taught English but also trained in speech, language, and behavior, so I and many families feel secure sending their children to Ms. Thu" - Mr. Phan Van Dung, living in Tinh Thoi commune (Cao Lanh city) shared. Therefore, although located in the countryside, and only teaching 2-3 sessions per week, over the past 10 years, Ms. Thu's house has always been trusted by many parents.

The job is demanding, but for Ms. Thu, it is happiness. “Every time I teach, I feel happy. So I will teach until my health no longer allows it”- Ms. Thu affirmed when we asked when she would “end her time”. Even according to her wishes, if students have a need, she will open more Chinese classes. “That is not a “self-promoting” statement. Because Ms. Thu is the most passionate teacher I know”- MSc. Le Thanh Thuy (Foreign Language Center of Dong Thap University) affirmed. More than a decade has passed, but Ms. Thuy is still impressed with Ms. Thu’s love for teaching. Exactly one year after Ms. Thu retired, the high school was invested in a new construction. “On the inauguration day, after shaking hands and smiling with her colleagues, she rubbed her hands on the board, looked up at the new room and said: I wish I could be young again so I could stand and teach in a spacious classroom and write on a beautiful board like this”- MSc. Thuy emotionally recalled. It is not only an emotion, but also a noble love for the cause of educating people. "Ms. Thu is not only a shining example of the spirit of studiousness for many people to follow, but also a driving force to promote the spirit of lifelong learning for the people of the Red Lotus land of Dong Thap to further promote the title of "Global Learning City" that UNESCO has recognized for Cao Lanh City at the end of 2022". I would like to borrow the words of Vice Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee Doan Tan Buu to end this article as a wish to the respected teacher Huynh Thi Thu with the hope that there will be more and more Ms. Thu in all regions of the country to create motivation for Vietnam to soon "stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's powers" as Uncle Ho's wish.

Laodong.vn