Dear Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation,

My name is Nguyen Thi Thuy Nhung, a lucky student who has received sponsorship from Lifestart Foundation. I have recently graduated with a degree in General Medicine from the University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy in Da Nang.

First of all, please allow me to send my warmest greetings and best wishes for your health. Today, I am writing this letter to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you and to share the emotions and thoughts I’ve carried with me throughout this journey, a time during which I have been constantly supported, encouraged and accompanied by everyone at Lifestart Foundation. In addition, I would also like to take this opportunity to share an update on my studies and personal life during this final semester at university.

I have recently completed the second semester of my final year, which included two main subjects: the Graduation Internship and the Graduation Thesis. During this period, I had the opportunity to gain more hands-on experience at hospital, practicing and applying much of the knowledge I had learned into real-life situations. However, this was truly a challenging time for me, as I had to put in a great deal of effort to balance my time between the hospital internship and completing my thesis.

I spent a significant amount of time at the hospital for both the graduation internship and to collect research samples for my thesis – “A Study on the Characteristics of the Active Phase of Labor and Pregnancy Outcomes in Full-Term First-Time Pregnant Women at Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children”.  This period was a different and challenging experience for me. The process pushed me beyond my comfort zone and deepened my understanding of clinical research. It also offered valuable lessons, hands-on experience and meaningful insights that have equipped me for graduation and laid a strong foundation for the next steps in both my academic and professional journeys.

Through this letter, I am pleased to share that, thanks to all the effort and dedication, I have successfully completed my graduation thesis. My grades for the second semester are as follows: Graduation Internship: 10, Graduation Thesis: 9.5. With these fantastic results, I achieved a maximum GPA of 4.0 for the second semester. In addition, I have taken the VSTEP exam and obtained a B1 English certificate. I’m truly delighted with what I’ve accomplished during this final stage of my studies.

My six-year journey as a medical student has finally come to an end. I graduated with a final GPA of 3.56 out of a possible 4.0, earning a Distinction degree. I am satisfied with this result, as it reflects the tremendous effort and determination I have invested throughout the years. I hope in the future to manage my study schedule more effectively, which will enable me to achieve even higher results. I also aim to continue to improve my English proficiency.

When I first received the Lifestart Foundation scholarship, I was just a fourth-year General Medicine student facing many difficulties. My family originally had four members. Sadly, my father passed away from cancer several years ago, leaving my mother widowed and solely responsible for supporting our family. That period was incredibly difficult for us financially. My mother had to take on multiple jobs to provide for my two sisters and me, while also managing the burden of repaying bank loans. At that time, my older sister had just graduated and was earning an unstable income, only enough to cover her daily expenses. Meanwhile, my mother was growing increasingly exhausted, both physically and mentally, under the weight of financial hardship and emotional loss. Given the duration and demands of my academic program, there were moments when I seriously considered putting my dream on hold in order to help support my mother. However, the encouragement and sacrifices from my parents gave me the strength to keep striving and continue on my path in the medical field. It has been both my childhood dream and my heartfelt desire to care for my loved ones and help others in the future.

In that difficult situation, I learned about the Lifestart Foundation scholarship through my university. I immediately applied, hoping that I would be fortunate enough to receive the support. I believed that if granted, the scholarship would ease part of my financial burden and help me complete my studies more effectively. Fortunately, after a period of waiting following the interview, I was overjoyed to receive the news that I had been selected. I felt incredibly happy and grateful, but at the same time I was also a bit anxious, wondering if I would be able to live up to the expectations and make the most of the opportunity that had been given to me.

Throughout my journey with the Lifestart Foundation, I have been deeply grateful to Ms. Karen and the entire Lifestart Foundation team, as well as the previous scholarship recipients. I am sincerely thankful for the financial support provided by the organization, which has helped ease the burden on my family and enabled me to move forward with greater confidence during the remaining years of my studies. It was not only a material gift, but alongside the financial support, I also received so much encouragement and care from everyone. The kind words, thoughtful mentoring sessions and meaningful advice from all of you truly helped ease my worries and guided me in planning and finding better solutions for my studies, allowing me to achieve the best possible results. This will forever be one of the most priceless memories of my life.

Thank you all for always being by my side and accompanying me throughout this journey. Thank you for caring about me, even though we were strangers at the beginning. Thanks to the Lifestart Foundation scholarship program, I had the opportunity to meet all of you and it has helped improve the lives of both my family and myself. That support has been a tremendous source of motivation, helping me reach where I am today. Had it not been for the support of the scholarship, I believe there would have been times when I might have given up during the remaining semesters. I would have faced overwhelming pressure, both mentally and financially, struggling a lot with my studies and daily life. Without the Lifestart Foundation scholarship, the financial burden would have weighed heavily on my mother. Her health would likely have declined, yet she would still have had to shoulder many responsibilities for our family, making our lives even more difficult.

From the bottom of my heart, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Ms. Karen, and everyone at Lifestart Foundation! I sincerely wish you all good health, continued success, and abundant happiness in both your work and your life. I also truly hope that Lifestart Foundation will continue to extend their support to many more students and families facing challenging circumstances in the future. Thank you so much once again!

Yours sincerely,

Nguyen Thi Thuy Nhung