Nguyen Thi Yen, born in 1978, is among the incoming Economics freshmen at the Academy of Administration and Public Governance in 2026.

Yen disclosed told VietNamNet that due to difficult family circumstances and losing her parents early, she dropped out of school right after finishing 9th grade. After getting married and having children, she and her husband moved from their old hometown in Nam Dinh (now part of Ninh Binh) to Hanoi, managing various jobs, from running a budget eatery to hair cutting and washing, to fund their two sons' education.

Her greatest wish was for her children to receive a complete education rather than having it interrupted like hers.

Rewarding their parents' efforts, both sons achieved excellent academic results, earning overseas study scholarships one after another. Notably, her second son, Dong Ngoc Ha (born in 2002), won a Silver Medal at the International Biology Olympiad in 2020. Recently, Ngoc Ha received PhD scholarship offers from seven prestigious US universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Princeton. Ngoc Ha is currently pursuing a doctoral program at Harvard University.

Yen's eldest son (born in 1999) also won the French Government's Eiffel Scholarship for his master's degree and is currently a PhD candidate in China.

"For many years after starting a family, I still harbored the dream of returning to school to continue my education. Once my children's education was settled, I resolved to pursue my dream," Yen said regarding her decision to resume studying a few years ago.

She shared that since her children were in high school, she balanced work with quietly self-studying primary and secondary school materials.

"When he discovered I was secretly self-studying, Ngoc Ha spent time re-explaining primary and secondary knowledge to me before leaving for his studies abroad. Tutored by my son, I caught up from a state of having forgotten almost everything and registered for 9th grade, later taking entrance exams for the Dong Da District Vocational and Continuing Education Center at age 44," Yen recalled.

During her time at the center, Yen won Third Prize in the municipal History student competition and was honored as an Exemplary Student of the Capital for the 2025–2026 academic year. In the recent admissions season, she gained admission to the Academy of Administration and Public Governance.

Sons want to "fund" their mother's university education

The mother in her late 40s has entered her second week of university classes. In her early days in class, she surprised many students meeting an older classmate.  Yen is exactly 30 years older than her fellow freshmen born in 2008.

"The young students are around my children's age, or even younger. During high school, I grew accustomed to interacting and exchanging ideas with young people, so I don't feel unfamiliar or that there is much of a generation gap," Yen said.

Enjoying group activities, Yen volunteered to serve as the class deputy in charge of academic affairs.

Yen noted that due to her age, she encounters certain limitations in technology usage and memory retention compared to younger peers. However, she believes that with sufficient passion, determination, and a desire to learn, she will overcome these hurdles.

The mother mentioned that to attend school, she must allocate time scientifically to maintain her freelance work while balancing family life. The freshman in her late 40s feels quite confident in her adaptability after completing after completing her studies from ninth through 12th grade.

Yen said that her two sons encouraged her by offering to cover all of her educational expenses.

“They told me ‘Mom took care of us in the past, so now let us support you while you study.’ But I am working toward winning a scholarship from the university,” Yen said.

She still remembers the day she took her high school graduation exam, when both sons booked air tickets to return to Vietnam and accompany their mother to the exam.

The mother said that at 48, she is not attending university to earn a degree “to make her résumé look good,” but simply to fulfill a dream she had put aside when she was younger.

“I know that at my age, by the time I graduate, I will already be too old to seek employment at organizations and institutions. But I wish to step into lecture halls to gain more knowledge and better myself,” Yen said.

Thanh Hung