A family that nurtured a love of learning

Born into an educated family, Hanh considers her parents the first teachers in her life. “My father quietly nurtured my love of learning by giving me meaningful books and stories. Thanks to those pages, I gradually developed an affection for languages, for studying, and for the vast world beyond,” she said.

Pham Thi Mai Hanh receives her degree at the graduation ceremony of the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University.

From her primary school years, Hanh’s parents paid close attention to her education. When faced with difficult math problems, her father would take her several kilometers to a teacher’s house for guidance. Her mother, recognizing the importance of foreign languages early on, found an English tutor for her daughter.

Exposure to another language from a young age helped Hanh realize that besides her beloved Vietnamese, there were other beautiful languages that opened new worlds. Her fascination with Korean culture and natural talent for languages fueled her dream of one day setting foot in the “Land of Morning Calm.”

Through relentless effort, Hanh achieved the title of excellent student for 12 consecutive years. She represented her schools in various competitions, earning 20 prizes across subjects such as Literature, English, Geography, and Chemistry at district and provincial levels.

In 2018, she topped the entrance exam to Son Dong No.1 High School, and three years later, she graduated as the top student in the D01 stream (Math, Literature, English).

That same year, she was admitted to the Faculty of Korean Language and Culture at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, with an impressive 38.97 out of 40.

At university, Hanh consistently excelled academically. For four consecutive years, she received an annual scholarship of USD 1,000 (about 24 million VND) from the Scranton Women’s Leadership Center, which supports outstanding female students in Southeast Asia.

She graduated with distinction and was offered a paid internship with a scholarship worth 50 million VND from LG Display Hai Phong Co., Ltd.

A determined path toward her dream

However, studying at a prestigious institution like Ewha Womans University on her own would have been financially impossible. From her third year in college, Hanh began searching for scholarship opportunities.

She set small daily goals to move closer to her dream: improving her Korean by learning new words each day, reading news without subtitles, broadening her cultural understanding, and practicing essay writing and interview skills.

Persistence and faith in her dream, she said, were key to her success. The scholarship journey was not easy—after failing three times, Hanh once thought of giving up. “But I realized that if I stopped, all my previous efforts would have been meaningless,” she recalled.

She started again, revising every detail in her application, essays, and interview responses. “The hardest part wasn’t language or knowledge,” she said, “but overcoming self-doubt. Once I did that, everything felt lighter. When I received the acceptance letter, I was trembling and in tears—it felt like all my years of hard work had finally paid off.”

Ewha Womans University, one of South Korea’s most prestigious institutions, has produced many female ministers and influential figures. The SWLC–Ewha master’s scholarship Hanh won covers full tuition and a monthly stipend of 1 million won (about 18 million VND) for two years, totaling roughly 1 billion VND (around USD 40,000).

Hanh said she intends to make the most of her time at Ewha not only to deepen her academic knowledge but also to strengthen her leadership, critical thinking, and global perspective. After completing her programme, she hopes to contribute to Vietnam’s education sector, especially in teaching and promoting cultural exchange between Vietnam and South Korea.

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