Graduating with honors even though she started university 12 years late.

Education was interrupted due to difficult circumstances.

On the evening of June 30th, Le Thi Tu Trinh's collection "The Dreams Of Movement" (35 years old, a fashion design student at Hoa Sen University) was showcased at the Fashion Creation 2024 show organized by Hoa Sen University. This collection served as both her graduation project and a special gift for her 10-year-old son.

Trinh said that the collection drew inspiration from modes of transportation such as cars, airplanes, and spaceships, along with her son's dream of becoming a pilot. The designs were creatively recreated on geometric shapes, showcased by child models, creating a delightful experience for the viewers.

Tu Trinh earned her university degree at the age of 35.

What sets her apart and impresses her teachers and friends the most is that Trinh is 35 years old and has a 10-year-old child. Seventeen years after graduating from high school, Trinh is about to fulfill her dream of earning a university degree.

Trinh recounted: “When I was in 8th grade, because our family was so poor, my parents moved from Soc Trang to Binh Duong to work as factory workers to earn a living, bringing my younger sibling, who was of kindergarten age, with them, while I stayed with my aunt and uncle. At that time, my parents worked all day and hadn't found a place to leave my younger sibling, so I had to temporarily stop studying and go to Binh Duong to look after her. After a few months, I worked various jobs like helping out at cafes and restaurants to support my parents.”

During this time, Trinh missed school very much and longed to go back, so she asked her parents to let her return to school. Touched by their daughter's eagerness to learn, her parents decided to take her back to her aunt and uncle's house, but because Trinh dropped out midway through her studies, she had to attend remedial classes. After completing 11th grade, Trinh moved again, settling permanently in Binh Duong with her parents and continuing her education, graduating from high school there.

“After graduating from high school, I thought about how difficult things were for my family, so I decided not to take the university entrance exam but to work to help my parents. Then I got married and enrolled in a vocational school. However, I got pregnant while studying, and I had to be hospitalized for more than ten days each month, so my studies were interrupted again,” Tú Trinh recounted.

I haven't seen my mother for many days.

In 2019, turning 30, with her child already 5 years old and a relatively stable job, Trinh felt it was the right time to pursue her dream. She decided to apply through the academic transcript review process and was accepted into the fashion design program at Hoa Sen University.

Starting from a point where she had no knowledge of English or computer skills (because she attended a supplementary middle school program and didn't study English in high school), and already had a husband and children, Trinh faced far more difficulties than her classmates.

Trinh's son (in the yellow shirt) celebrates with his mother at the fashion show on the evening of June 30th.

“Every day, I wake up at 4:30 a.m. to study, then at 6 a.m. I ride my motorbike from Binh Duong to District 12 to attend classes, and in the afternoon I travel back to District 3 to continue studying. For four years of study, I traveled more than 50 km each way every day. In the evening, after cooking, cleaning, and putting my children to bed, I continue studying. The fashion design major requires a lot of assignments and tests, so I often stay up until midnight,” Tu Trinh shared.

Unlike her classmates who are free from family responsibilities, Trinh has to balance her study time with time for her small family and both sets of grandparents. “When my child is sick, I have to stay up to take care of her, and then I still have to try to get up and go to school in the morning. Some days I go to extra English classes and don’t get home until almost 10 PM, so my child doesn’t get to see me. I just feel sorry for her asking me every day, ‘Mommy, what time are you coming home tomorrow?’” Trinh recounted, her eyes welling up with tears.

For Trinh, the price of pursuing her dream of getting a university degree was also very high. For four years, Trinh had very little time to spend with her child, missing important developmental stages and failing to fulfill her responsibilities, causing hardship for her husband.

"During this time, I was too busy to go back to my hometown to visit my grandparents. When my maternal and paternal grandparents passed away, I wasn't there to see them one last time. I missed the opportunity to show my filial piety to them," Tu Trinh expressed.

Never intended to give up.

A characteristic of the field Trinh is studying is that students are often required to create specific fashion products and accessories. Students have to come up with their own ideas, find their own materials, and do the cutting and sewing themselves… This process is quite time-consuming, laborious, and expensive. Many times, after finding the perfect fabric and creating a design, Trinh had to discard the sample because the material wasn't suitable or the design didn't match her vision.

Most recently, while working on her graduation project – the collection The Dreams Of Movement – ​​she had only been working on it for a week when she had to return to her hometown to attend her maternal grandfather's funeral. Due to many nights of staying up late, upon returning to Binh Duong, Trinh had to be hospitalized due to physical exhaustion and vestibular disorders.

Tu Trinh guides child models in participating in the fashion show of her collection.

After spending three days in the hospital and another two days at home, Trinh spent a total of two weeks working on the project, having to stay up many nights to keep up with the schedule. Because the collection was for children, the instructor was very strict about the materials used.

"There were days when I'd run to Phu Tho Hoa market and find 3 or 4 types, then go to Soai Kinh Lam market and find 2 or 3 types, then go to Tran Huu Trang market and find another 4 or 5 types. But when I brought them back, the teacher only approved 1 or 2, so the next day I had to go look for more. It was both expensive and required many days of searching in the hot sun. I was exhausted, but I thought that if I wanted to do well, I had to keep going," Trinh said.

Trinh's project included over 70 types of fabrics in various materials and was one of the highest-rated collections in the class (ranking in the top 5), exceeding Trinh's expectations. Not to mention, Trinh's GPA after four years of study was 3.48, achieving excellent grades.

"The process of pursuing my dream of attending university has had some really stressful and tiring periods due to pressure, but I remembered why I started and told myself I had to keep trying. I never intended to give up because if I did, I would never be able to achieve it again. I am happy with the results today. Besides my own efforts, I also received support, encouragement, and motivation from my husband and family," Trinh confided.

After graduating from university, Trinh plans to pursue a master's degree to become a lecturer. She shared: "When we have a dream, we should try to pursue it. Perhaps for some reason we can't achieve it right away, but let's nurture it until we can. The important thing is not to give up and always persevere, determined to pursue it to the end."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoc-tre-12-nam-van-tot-nghiep-dai-hoc-loai-gioi-185240702095808546.htm