Dear Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation,

My name is Luu Thi Ly, a fifth-year student majoring in General Medicine at Danang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Karen and Lifestart Foundation for granting me this meaningful scholarship. Today, I am writing this letter to convey my deep joy and heartfelt appreciation to you all.

I was born and raised in a poor rural area at the foot of a mountain in Duy Trinh commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province. From a young age, I was aware of my family’s difficult circumstances. There are three of us: my mother, my older sister and me. We make a living by making brooms from mountain grass and from my mother’s daily wage as a laborer. She is a single mum and has been the sole pillar of our family, acting as both father and mother and raising my sister and me. Perhaps because of this, she has suffered from continuous health problems. Now, at over 67 years old, my mother is no longer able to work much due to serious conditions such as having stomach ulcers, being underweight and suffering from severe anaemia, carotid artery aneurysm, herniated discs and joint degeneration, all of which require frequent hospitalizations. I remember the times when she was in so much pain that she groaned or fainted, yet she refused to go to the hospital because she was afraid of the cost and worried there would be no money left to support our education. This made me feel very distressed. My older sister was born in 1998. She is now married and renting a place in Da Nang City where she works in a school. However, with her low income and the high cost of living in an urban area including rent, electricity and water bills, transportation, daily expenses and other unexpected costs, she can only cover her own living expenses and is unable to provide much support to the family.

My mother is a farmer who works tirelessly day and night, “selling her face to the land and her back to the sky,” with only one wish: that her two children study hard and become useful members of society. Witnessing her being tormented by excruciating pain and seeing her hesitate to go to the hospital because she feared the cost, has further fuelled my dream of becoming a doctor. First and foremost, I want to be able to take good care of my family’s health and then contribute to society by helping those in difficult circumstances. Having witnessed people in need who could not afford medical treatment despite being very ill, I have realized that I must work even harder so that I can bring smiles and hope to others. With my persistent effort, I am now a fifth-year medical student.

For me, each year on campus is a wonderful journey in continuing to pursue my dreams. Although the amount of knowledge I need to absorb increases each year, I do not feel discouraged because I know that the more challenging the path to becoming a physician, the more it will shape me into a doctor who is both compassionate and highly skilled. Nevertheless, tuition fees have always been a challenging issue for my family as they increase significantly each year, making it very difficult for us to manage. There were nights when I studied while crying over my notebook or sitting alone at the bus stop crying because it was time to pay tuition. Many times, I thought about giving up, but then I looked at my mother and my sister and the hardships we have endured and at the patients who need me. That gave me the determination to get back up and keep moving forward. I took on part-time jobs at local eateries outside of class hours, worked shifts and saved every penny to help my family, even borrowing from neighbours and my aunt to continue my studies.

Looking back now, I feel very grateful because, throughout this journey even in moments of extreme hardship, I persevered. I still remember my high school teacher’s words: “A bird perched on a branch does not fear the branch breaking, because its trust is not in the branch, but in its own wings.” True confidence and security do not come from the external environment, but from one’s abilities, inner strength and belief in oneself. I believe that with enough willpower, perseverance and effort, success will come. We cannot choose where we are born, but we can choose who we become.

One day, I received an announcement from my university about the opportunity to apply for a Lifestart Foundation scholarship. My heart was filled with both joy and hope. I was happy because, on the journey to pursue my dream, I was fortunate to find a ray of light, a source of motivation and a great lifeline at a time when my family was struggling hard and did not know how to make ends meet. I hurried to complete my application and submit it as quickly as possible. I still vividly remember the image of the devoted and kind-hearted staff who supported us during the application process, Ms. Nhung. She frequently contacted me and kindly asked about my situation to better understand my family circumstances, giving me more opportunity to advance to the interview round.

On September 20th, 2025, while volunteering at the Danang Endocrinology and Diabetes Conference, I saw that Ms. Nhung had added me to the interview group chat. I was overjoyed as it meant I still had a chance to get the scholarship. Then came the nervous waiting. This was my very first scholarship interview and I did not know if I would do well. I was also worried about whether I could stay calm and confident.

On September 24th, my elder sister took me to Hoi An for the interview. The night before, I was so nervous I could not sleep and the next morning, I was too anxious to eat breakfast. When I arrived at Lifestart Foundation’s office, I was immediately struck by how warm and welcoming everyone was. They kindly cared for me and asked if I felt well. The first thing Ms. Nhung asked me was, “What time did you arrive?” “Have you had breakfast?” “Are you nervous?” Those simple questions truly warmed my heart and eased my anxiety.

During the interview with Ms. Karen, I was initially very nervous but soon felt deeply impressed by her, such a beautiful and kind-hearted woman. I am not fluent in English, so I could not understand everything Karen said without Nhung’s translation, but as the conversation went on, all my nervousness disappeared. Both Karen and Nhung spoke gently and encouraged me so much. I felt deeply touched and grateful for that.

After about an hour of conversation, I felt incredibly happy for having met people who spent more than an hour listening attentively to my story.