Dear Ms. Karen, and Lifestart Foundation,
My name is Le Thi Thu Van. I’m a 6th-year student majoring in General Medicine at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to receive support from the Lifestart Foundation scholarship fund and as I’m about to graduate, I wanted to tell you and everyone at Lifestart Foundation about my experiences during this time.
I’m happy to share that I completed the second semester of the 2024-2025 academic year successfully. Throughout my studies and exam preparation, I balanced my rotations at the hospital with studying for my clinical exams. At the end of every eight weeks, I had an end-of-rotation clinical exam before moving on to a new subject, culminating in theory exams at the end of the semester. As in previous semesters, I studied consistently throughout the term and, before the final exams, I reviewed everything to solidify my knowledge. After this, I had a month to prepare for my graduation clinical and theory exams. Fortunately, both of these were in the same specialty area which made the preparation process much smoother. For theory, I had to absorb a vast amount of information over a short period. However, I created a suitable study plan and schedule and as a result, achieved close to my desired scores as follows: Internal Medicine Clinical: 8.0, Internal Medicine Theory: 9.7, Surgery Clinical: 7.9, Surgery Theory: 8.4, Graduation Clinical: 9.0, Graduation Theory: 8.7. I’m quite satisfied with these scores, as they align well with the goals I set for myself.
Looking back at my university journey, I’m thrilled to share that I graduated on time with an excellent overall academic record, achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.64/4.0. It was a true honour to be among the students who received commendations from both Hue University and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy for outstanding academic performance and excellent medical practice throughout the years. I’m incredibly happy and proud to have achieved the goals I set for myself when I first entered Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy. This accomplishment is a testament to my continuous efforts over the past six years.
My parents are farmers and with many siblings attending school, our family faces considerable challenges. Both my parents frequently fall ill. My father has undergone multiple surgeries which have progressively weakened his health. He’s no longer able to do heavy work, so he mostly stays home assisting my mother with lighter chores and farm work. My mother also experiences frequent illnesses but has to push herself to work and support the family. Due to our financial struggles and my father’s expensive major surgeries, my elder sister was unable to attend university and instead started working to help our parents. Currently, she works at a restaurant. My older brother and I are both in university. He is a second-year IT student at Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, and my youngest brother is in fifth grade. Before I received my scholarship, my family and I faced significant hardship. My parents often had to take out student loans to cover my tuition and living expenses. Recognizing their difficulties and struggles, I constantly strived to study hard, achieve high grades and earn scholarships to ease their financial burden. At the same time, I’ve always been mindful of managing my expenses and saving wisely to suit our circumstances. The most challenging period was when my older brother also started university. My parents’ health continued to decline, yet their financial burden grew heavier. While living costs in Hue are relatively low, rent and living expenses in Hanoi are very high. Because of this, my parents often send food from home to my brother to help him out, and he also tutors to further support himself.
Because of these difficulties, Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation came into my life and my family’s lives, and was an incredibly meaningful gift. The day I received the notification that I’d been granted a Lifestart Foundation scholarship, I was overjoyed and bursting with happiness. I immediately told my family, knowing how delighted my parents would be to hear the news. Lifestart Foundation’s support was not just financial, it was also an immensely significant spiritual gift and a tremendous motivation for me to strive even harder. The scholarship is a testament to and a result of my continuous efforts during my previous four years of study. I sincerely thank Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation for their support over the past two years. Additionally, Lifestart Foundation has helped me connect with many older and younger students and I’m grateful for the incredibly enthusiastic support from Ms. Nhung, Ms. Hien, Ms. Uyen and Ms. Dieu. Thank you all for always supporting me and my family throughout the entire process, from application review to the present.
The Lifestart Foundation scholarship has played a substantial role in my academic journey and has been a tremendous help to my family. Financially, the scholarship has fully covered my tuition and living expenses, meaning I no longer have to rely on my parents for support. This has significantly eased their financial burden and reduced their monthly worries and pressure. Spiritually, the scholarship has been a huge motivation for me to continue my studies, alleviating economic anxieties and allowing me to focus entirely on my studies. The requirement to maintain certain academic standards each semester to keep the scholarship has also served as a constant drive and goal for me to strive for every day. It is also a source of great pride and a testament to my continuous efforts over the past years. I am eternally grateful for the unwavering support from my family and the Lifestart Foundation throughout my university life. While my parents’ health has been declining, with my father frequently hospitalized over the past year, I am their joy and their daily motivation. The Lifestart Foundation has played a pivotal role in bringing my family and me to where we are today, providing immense comfort and reassurance to my family.
Without the support from the Lifestart Foundation scholarship, my life would undoubtedly be much more challenging. I would likely have had to work much more to help my parents, impacting both my study time and my health. Beyond the financial aspect, not having the scholarship would also mean losing a significant source of encouragement. I would feel more alone and less confident on my academic journey. As you know, studying medicine is a demanding undertaking, filled with pressure and stress. Without Lifestart Foundation, I would have had to bear an even heavier burden of financial pressure, in addition to worrying about my parent’s declining health. The scholarship hasn’t just provided financial assistance; it has also shown me that there are people willing to believe in and accompany me. That belief has given me an immense amount of strength and determination.
Finally, I want to express my most sincere and profound gratitude to Ms. Karen and the Lifestart Foundation scholarship fund. Thanks to your invaluable support, I haven’t just received the means to study better; I’ve also gained renewed faith and motivation in life. The care and attention from the staff, the esteemed sponsors, and the Lifestart Foundation scholarship have shown me that no matter how difficult my circumstances may be, if I continuously strive and never give up, there will always be kind hearts ready to extend a helping hand and accompany me on this challenging path. I will forever remember and cherish everything I’ve received from those who have helped me. I promise to continue studying hard, living responsibly and remaining grateful. I hope the Lifestart Foundation will grow even stronger and reach more communities. I believe that with the Lifestart Foundation’s compassion and dedication, many dreams will be given wings to soar and in turn, those dreams will continue to nurture many new ones. I wish all the staff and patrons good health, much joy, happiness, prosperity in your work and great success. I hope you will continue to accompany Lifestart Foundation for a long time to come.
Best wishes,
Le Thi Thu Van