Dear Ms. Karen and all members of the Lifestart Foundation,

My name is Tran Ngoc Nha Han, and I am currently a year-9 student at Dinh Chau Secondary School in Da Nang City.

First of all, I would like to send my warmest greetings and my sincere thanks to you and all members of the Lifestart Foundation for your care and for granting me this meaningful scholarship. Via this letter, I would like to tell you a little about my family and my studies.

I was born into a family that still faces many difficulties. In the past, I lived with both my parents and my younger sister. However, due to differences, my parents divorced. Later, my mother remarried and had a son with my stepfather, but that marriage also ended in divorce. My father now takes care of my sister, while my mother raises me. Currently, my family has three members: my mother, my younger brother and me.

Now, my mother as a single parent is solely responsible for supporting both of us without any financial assistance from my father or stepfather. She works in a spa with unstable hours. Her job is demanding and she often works about 12 hours a day without days off. Due to the nature of her work, she has little time to take care of us and she also suffers from ill health including stomach problems and diabetes. In addition, her income depends heavily on the number of tourists, making it an unstable career so at times she has to borrow money from my grandparents and our relatives to cover our education and daily expenses. Currently, the three of us live in a small rented room. On rainy or stormy days the roof leaks making the room damp and hindering both study and daily activities.

Regarding my studies, I cycle to school every Monday to Saturday and attend classes from 6:45 a.m. till 11:15 a.m. Despite my family’s difficult circumstances, I always remind myself to do my best to build a brighter future. In the first semester, I was awarded the title of Excellent Student, ranking fifth in my class with an average score of 8.5 out of 10. However, I am not fully satisfied with this result, as I believe I can do better. I will take this as motivation to strive harder in the second semester and achieve even better results.

I consider myself a confident, determined and optimistic person. Although I am sometimes careless and am prone to procrastinating, my mother’s hard work and the future of myself and my brother are my greatest motivations to keep improving and trying harder every day.

Of all the subjects, I especially enjoy Literature, which is also the subject I perform best in. It brings me a sense of comfort and allows me to immerse myself in words and ideas. At the same time, I work hard in other subjects as well so that I can build a well-rounded knowledge base. In addition, I take part in the school’s Art Club to develop my drawing talent. For me, going to school each day is a joy, as I have a supportive learning environment, friendly classmates and caring teachers who always do their best to support students, especially those in difficult circumstances like mine.

Besides my regular lessons at school, I attend three extra classes: Maths, English and Natural Sciences. These are very helpful, as the teachers explain the lessons clearly, allowing me to strengthen my knowledge and learn new methods of study and types of exercises. They also give me the opportunity to broaden my understanding, as what I know is only like a drop of water, while knowledge beyond is as vast as the ocean.

Outside of school hours, I spend about three hours each day self-studying at home, including doing extra exercises, reviewing lessons, preparing new ones and reading reference books.

In my free time, I usually spend about two hours a day helping my mother with housework, such as cooking, taking care of my younger brother when she is away, feeding him, doing my own laundry, drying and folding clothes and cleaning the house to ease her burden. I also enjoy reading books such as The Da Vinci Code, Chicken Soup for the Soul and How to Win Friends and Influence People, as well as works by Vietnamese author Nguyen Nhat Anh, which I especially love. Sometimes, I draw or write in my diary, which is also a hobby of mine.

In the coming year, I will continue to aim for high academic achievements and, if possible, participate in academic competitions to challenge myself.

In the future, I hope to become a Literature teacher. This dream began when I was in Year 7. I want to pursue this career because it is not only about imparting knowledge but also about passing on good values to future generations. It is a meaningful and respected profession that will bring me great happiness.

I learned about the Lifestart Foundation education scholarship through school and my homeroom teacher. When I was informed that I had been granted an interview, I felt quite nervous because it was my first time participating in one. However, during the interview, thanks to Ms. Karen and the Lifestart Foundation team, I felt more at ease. I was also deeply touched that Ms. Karen and Ms. Nhung listened attentively as my mother and I shared our stories with them. After the interview, I felt both anxious and hopeful. Before receiving the scholarship, although I dreamed of going to university to pursue my passion, I was also aware that it might not be possible due to financial difficulties and rising tuition fees. Therefore, when I learned that I had been awarded the Lifestart Foundation education scholarship, my family and I were extremely happy and emotional.

To me, this scholarship is not only financial support but also an invaluable source of encouragement. It has come at just the right time, helping to ease my mother’s burden so she can better care for my younger brother. More importantly, it is a great source of motivation that gives me the confidence to continue my educational journey, pursue my dream of becoming a teacher and one day enter university. I promise to use this scholarship effectively and responsibly and to continue striving to be worthy of the trust that Ms. Karen and all members of the Lifestart Foundation have placed in me.

Once again, I would like to sincerely thank Ms. Karen and the Lifestart Foundation for always caring for and supporting students in difficult circumstances like mine. Finally, I wish you all good health, happiness and success in life.

Yours sincerely,
Tran Ngoc Nha Han