Youth begins with independence.
Le Thi My Quyen, born in 2007, is from Vinh Long (formerly Tra Vinh province) and is currently a first-year student majoring in Social Work at Cuu Long University. Having left her hometown to study far away, Quyen quickly understood that living away from home forced her to become stronger and more independent each day.
"Being away from home, I can't rely on anyone but myself. I have to try harder in my studies, live more disciplined, and participate in more volunteer activities to improve myself," Quyen shared.
In the 2025 university entrance exam, Quyen achieved high results in the academic transcript-based admission method and was admitted to Cuu Long University - the culmination of many years of continuous effort in her studies.
Few people know that behind this resilient student lies a childhood full of challenges. When she was very young, Quyen's family experienced major upheavals that turned their lives upside down, and from then on, all the burdens of making a living fell on her mother's shoulders. During Quyen's elementary school years, the family had more opportunities to reunite and overcome difficulties together. However, that joy did not last long when her father fell seriously ill. By the time the family received the news, the disease was in its final stages and could not be cured.
My Quyen has always had to strive to excel in her studies and in life.
Quyền's father passed away when she was only 13 years old, leaving a huge void in the heart of the young girl who was still in school. "At that time, I felt like everything was falling apart. I had just lost my father and had to get used to being away from my mother because she worked far away to support my life and education," Quyền recalled, her voice choked with emotion.
Quyen's mother went to Long An (now Tay Ninh province) to work, leaving her daughter in the care of her grandmother. Every month, she carefully saved every penny to send back, hoping only that her daughter wouldn't fall behind her friends and could continue going to school. All the burdens fell on the shoulders of this mother, barely over 40 years old, with hands calloused from the struggle for survival and hair already streaked with gray.
“Luckily, my mother and I still have my maternal grandparents who are always there to encourage us, even though our family life is still full of hardships. From the summer of 9th grade, I started working part-time to help my mother. When the school year started, I was able to cover part of my tuition and insurance costs myself. Every summer vacation, I would go with my mother to Long An to work part-time to save money for my studies. I tried my best to do any job, from carrying trays to serving customers, as long as it could ease the burden on my mother,” Quyen recalled.
There was a time when Quyen considered quitting her studies. But then she thought that she wasn't just doing it for herself, but also out of filial piety to her mother and grandmother. She wanted to have a stable career in the future, pay off her mother's debts, renovate the old house, and bring her mother home to care for her in her old age.
“The summer after the high school graduation exam, I worked for two months to earn money to help my mother with my studies. At one point, I thought about working permanently and only going back to school when I had the means. But then, after hearing my grandmother's advice that only a university education could open up a better future, I thought about it a lot. My grandmother's words resonated deeply with me, and I decided to continue pursuing my education,” Quyen shared.
She's a dynamic class president from the Youth Union movement.
Not only is Quyen an excellent student, but she is also an active participant in youth union and student association activities. While in high school, she was actively involved in the youth union; she served on the school's executive committee; and she was also the head of the Environmental Protection Club, leading the club to win second prize in the ASEAN Eco-School Competition in Vietnam in 2024.
Upon entering university, Quyen was trusted and elected as Class President and Secretary of the Class Youth Union. She actively connected with others, promoted activities, and created a serious and united learning atmosphere in the class.
“My classmates trust me with responsibilities because I always strive to manage the class well, providing timely support and promoting extracurricular activities so that everyone participates enthusiastically. I always remind myself to be a role model, from academics to self-discipline, to help build a united class. Thanks to this, the class's academic results are always stable, serious, and achieve the expected scores. In my work with the Youth Union, I realize that knowing how to listen, communicate clearly and promptly, and mobilizing classmates to participate in activities becomes very effective,” My Quyen shared.
Besides being a good student, My Quyen is also an active participant in youth union and student association activities.
Having learned about the "Supporting Top Students 2025" program through the recommendation of his teachers, Quyen boldly registered with the hope of gaining additional resources to continue his studies.
After graduating, Quyen hopes to work near her hometown to be with her mother and grandmother. For her, success is not measured by fame, but by the family being together and her mother no longer having to struggle with the worries of providing for the family.
"Family means everything to me, it's the greatest joy and happiness in my life," Quyen shared.
From a country girl to a determined first-year university student, Le Thi My Quyen is continuing her journey day by day with perseverance, responsibility, and gratitude. The road ahead for Quyen is undoubtedly full of challenges, but with the willpower forged from an early age and the support from her family, teachers, and society, she believes she is strong enough to move forward. As Quyen herself shared, success for her isn't about grand things, but simply about living close to loved ones, doing honest work, and gradually providing a more fulfilling and peaceful life for her family.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/hanh-trinh-vuon-len-nghich-canh-cua-nu-sinh-nganh-cong-tac-xa-hoi-post1809865.tpo
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