Dear Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation,

To begin this letter, I would like to extend my warmest greetings and deepest gratitude to Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation. My name is Pham Van Than, a fourth-year student at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, majoring in General Medicine. I am writing this letter with the utmost respect and heartfelt appreciation and with my sincere thanks to you all for generously awarding me this truly meaningful scholarship.

I was born and raised in a low-income farming family. My family’s livelihood mainly depended on my parents’ working in the fields, while education and living costs increased year by year. Despite the hardships, my parents always tried their best to ensure their child could attend school and even saved enough to build a solid house to withstand storms and floods. Unfortunately, in 2017, a heartbreaking incident struck my family: my father passed away after being attacked by a buffalo. Since then, only my mother and I have lived together, relying on each other. Our life, already difficult, became even more challenging after my father’s passing. My mother often suffers from poor health and cannot do heavy work due to repeated intestinal blockages after small intestine surgery, as well as corneal dryness and spinal degeneration. 

Every year my hometown is also heavily affected by natural disasters. Recently, Typhoon Kajiki caused devastating damage to my family: many fruit trees were uprooted and one of our main sources of income, the tea-oil tree (Camellia drupifera Lour) whose fruits are used to make cooking oil, was ruined when the young fruits were blown away, cutting our family income by half. As I write this letter, my hometown has just endured another super typhoon, Bualoi.

I still have a long journey ahead to complete my studies. Although I have been frugal and tried to earn extra income, financial difficulties remain overwhelming. In previous years, I studied while working part-time to help with living costs and ease the burden on my mother. On some days, I attended classes all day, then tutored in the evening and stayed up late at night to study. Now, in my fourth year, my academic schedule is much heavier, leaving little time to work. At most, I can earn a small amount by delivering food but it is not much. Tuition fees keep increasing and with so much time required for study, the pressure is truly great. At times, I even wondered whether I should continue studying medicine or choose a shorter course to enable me to earn money sooner to support my mother. But my mother always encouraged me, saying: “I am proud that you are studying medicine to save lives. I want you to be someone who can take care of your family and also be a good person for society.” Her words gave me renewed determination to pursue my dream. Whenever I feel discouraged, I remind myself: “I am not studying just for myself but also for my family and for those who believe in me and the ideals I am pursuing.”

I chose medicine not only because of my childhood dream but also from real-life experiences. I have often witnessed relatives and neighbors fall ill without timely access to treatment. These experiences made me truly understand the value of a doctor. I want to enter the medical profession not only to treat illness but also to bring hope and reassurance to those suffering from disease. Through my studies, I have realized that this field requires not only knowledge but also patience, compassion and resilience. These qualities affirm my suitability and strengthen my determination to walk this long and challenging path.

During my interview with Lifestart Foundation I felt nervous, yet at the same time deeply touched by the kindness, encouragement and care shown by them all. After the interview, I was filled with hope and looked forward to receiving the scholarship, though I worried whether I had been able to fully express my aspirations and goals. Nonetheless, that experience gave me great motivation to keep moving forward.

When I learned that I had been selected as a scholarship recipient, my mother and I were overjoyed and deeply moved. Words cannot express our happiness. This scholarship is not only financial support but also a powerful source of encouragement, giving my family and me greater confidence to overcome hardships.

For me, this scholarship carries profound meaning. It reduces my worries about tuition fees, but even more importantly, it serves as recognition and a great source of motivation that helps me push through challenges in life. I believe that with this support, I will be able to focus more on my studies, research and training so that I can become a good doctor who is responsible and willing to contribute to society.

I plan to use the financial support to purchase books, study materials and cover part of my tuition. This will also help relieve my mother’s financial burden, especially after recent storms severely damaged her main source of income. I feel so fortunate to be known and supported by Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation. Your help gives me confidence in my studies and renewed motivation to pursue my dream.

This past academic year, I began my hospital internship. At first, it was challenging and I did not achieve good results in the first semester. However, I worked harder and earned a GPA of 3.47 out of a possible 4 in the second semester. Now in my fourth year, I am even busier studying important subjects. Nevertheless, I hope to maintain strong results, especially with the support of this scholarship. Outside of my studies, I actively participate in volunteer activities with my university clubs and external charities, including blood donation drives to connect patients in need. In the future, I am determined to do even better and continue contributing to community activities within my capacity. In addition, I plan to reduce part-time work so I can devote more time to studying English, which will help me prepare for my future career.

After graduation, my goal is to become a doctor who is both medically competent and has strong ethics, fulfilling the mission of saving lives. I want to grow as a person to provide a better life for my family and to spread the spirit of community service in health and education, as Lifestart Foundation does. In the future, I also hope to pursue a residency program as it is the best path for young doctors in Vietnam. One day, I wish to return to my hometown to contribute to its development and to help people in difficult circumstances.

In closing, I sincerely thank Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation for your generous support and kindness. I will strive even harder to be worthy of receiving your support through this scholarship. I wish Ms. Karen and Lifestart Foundation good health, happiness and success in your noble work of helping others. I promise to make the best use of this opportunity, to keep learning and to persevere through challenges. And one day when I am able, I will return to help those in difficult circumstances and support them in realizing their dreams.

Yours sincerely,

Pham Van Than