Do Thi Phuong Anh, 19, won the Lion’s Heart Scholarship worth VND1 billion (USD43,480) for the 2021-2022 academic year. The scholarship will cover full tuition of one English foundation course, degree foundation course, bachelor’s programmes, alongside living expenses and housing during the time she studies at BUV.
She was the first student at an SOS Children's Village in Vietnam to have won the scholarship which is given to outstanding students with disadvantaged backgrounds.
Anh shared that she won the scholarship thanks to her essay which she wrote about a story with her shoes.
"This was the first time I had to write an essay in English, which I had no idea about at all," she said. "I started searching Google and asked friends to find out about how to prepare for it. While many people write about their strong points and achievements, I wanted to share my experiences and thoughts. The deadline was only two weeks away and I suddenly remembered the story of my shoes and the lesson my adopted mother gave me."
Phuong Anh and her adopted mother and other children at the SOS Children's Village in Haiphong City
The young woman shared that in the essay she told a story about her following friends to wear high-heeled shoes when she was at secondary school.
"Seeing me struggling to walk with high-heeled shoes, my adopted mother said that I would look good when I feel comfortable with any shoe style, so I shouldn't try to follow what is not suitable for me," Anh said.
"Hearing my mother's opinion, I started to realise that I can only be myself if I choose the most suitable style for me, and I needn't try to follow any trend and become the same as others," Anh said. "I decided to share this story in my essay and I was happy that I am successful with it."
Talking about Phuong Anh, her adopted mother Do Thi Thang said that Anh was abandoned right after birth and was brought up at the village's Daisy Flower Family.
"Phuong Anh is a strong and independent girl," the mother said. "She was good at maths and English and has tried to search for opportunities to have a better education. When she found out about and applied for the Lion’s Heart Scholarship, we also encouraged and supported her and it was such a nice surprise that she won it."
The young woman said that she wanted to study marketing so as to help improve marketing activities for the SOS Children's villages in the country.
"At present, many SOS Children villages in Vietnam are facing a shortage of staff to take care of the children," she said. "Many mothers including my mother Do Thi Thang at SOS Children Village Hai Phong have reached retirement age but are still having to work as we are having difficulties attracting new staff."
Do Thi Phuong Anh in a meeting with state President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in late 2021
Phuong Anh has been recently invited among outstanding children and young people to a meeting with State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi to share her achievements and dreams.
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