The first female PhD holder from the Ede ethnic group.

H'Linh H'Mok (born in 1987), a female student from Tay Nguyen University, has just received a full scholarship for doctoral studies from the National University of Mexico. H'Linh's journey to the lecture halls was a tireless battle against poverty and hunger, fought with extraordinary willpower.

Only one option

H'Linh was born into a large family in EaDrang town, EaH'leo district, Dak Lak province. Despite living in a town, H'Linh's family was among the poorest in Dak Lak province. Her parents were farmers, so providing food and clothing for their four children was a constant struggle. Her childhood was filled with memories of the biting cold of winter, the dampness of their house during storms, and the hunger that left them pale and weak. H'Linh recalled: “Our family was poor; we didn't have enough planks to cover the four walls, or enough corrugated iron for the roof, so every time it rained, the house leaked. Water flowed everywhere, soaking the beds. Many nights, the six members of the family huddled together with only a piece of raincoat hanging loosely over their heads. When we ran out of rice, H'Linh and her siblings had to go to bed with empty stomachs.”

H'Linh was clearly aware of the importance of her education: "Even though my family was poor and I went to school hungry, I always thought about the good things in the future. At that time, I thought the only option was to study hard to escape poverty and achieve my dreams." From the 5th grade, H'Linh had to both go to school and help her family with farm work. From the 1st to the 9th grade, H'Linh often asked for scraps of paper from older children in the neighborhood, brought them home, and sewed them together with thread to make notebooks to copy her lessons. She didn't have textbooks, and she always had to ask older children who had already used them for lessons.

Throughout her nine years of schooling, H'Linh H'Mok never once wore a new dress on the first day of school; she always wore hand-me-downs that her mother had begged for. As a child, H'Linh was often ashamed of her impoverished circumstances. But when she became aware of her situation, H'Linh realized that her biggest mistake was lacking the will to improve her life. From then on, H'Linh believed her only option was to study hard.

H'Linh's parents are farmers, but both have graduated from vocational schools. Therefore, despite their poverty, the family has always fully supported her educational path. Her life took a new turn when H'Linh passed the entrance exam to N'Trang Long Boarding High School in Dak Lak province. Linh said: “During my three years there, I never lacked books. The teachers cared for and looked after the students like their own children. This emotional warmth strengthened my resolve to pursue my big dreams over the years.”

The dream will come true.

In 2006, H'Linh applied to the Physics Education program at Tay Nguyen University. On her first day of school, she was as excited as a fish finding water. But the difficulties of university life sometimes discouraged her: “The learning methods were so different from high school, and the financial difficulties made me feel like I was going to give up. Once, on the way from the lecture hall back to the dormitory, I cried a lot. Sitting by the roadside, I cried like a child and thought, my dream is still within reach. I'll just study hard at university and then apply for a postgraduate scholarship later.”

At the end of her first year, H'Linh was in the top 10 at Tay Nguyen University and ranked first in her class. At that time, the University of Havana (Cuba) offered Tay Nguyen University a full scholarship in Physics, and H'Linh applied. Through tireless effort, extraordinary determination, and excellent academic achievements, H'Linh H'Mok was selected by the University of Havana and awarded a full scholarship for one year of language study and five years of specialized studies in Cuba. A month before receiving the scholarship, H'Linh's father passed away from a serious illness. She left her hometown to study, but her heart remained heavy with grief.

Upon arriving in Cuba, H'Linh surprised her professors at the University of Havana. A girl from the Ede ethnic group became the only recipient of a scholarship from Cuba's leading university. H'Linh recounted: “Everyone asked why a girl would study a dry subject like Physics. But I love Physics and Mathematics, so the more I studied, the more interesting it became. Especially, I enjoyed researching in the laboratory even more.” Thanks to the help of her fellow countrymen from previous years, H'Linh quickly adapted to life there. She received a lot of support from her teachers, friends, and Cuban families, both academically and in her daily life. H'Linh participated in many scientific activities and wrote articles for scientific journals…

In 2012, H'Linh graduated from the University of Havana with honors. She then received a full scholarship from the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico to pursue a master's degree at the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education in Ensenada, Mexico. H'Linh stated that the conditions for graduate studies there were excellent. She regularly received guidance from professors at the National University of Mexico in her scientific research. With her outstanding academic results, H'Linh was awarded a full doctoral scholarship by the National University of Mexico, even though she wouldn't graduate from her master's program until the end of 2014.

I will return to help the village.

Despite studying abroad for six years, H'Linh always makes time to visit home every summer. Buying plane tickets from Cuba or Mexico to Vietnam is a real challenge. During her years studying abroad, H'Linh speaks Spanish fluently. Meanwhile, very few Vietnamese tour guides know this language. Therefore, tapping into the tourism market from Spanish-speaking countries in Vietnam is an advantage, and H'Linh has become an impromptu tour guide, but one that is highly sought after by many travel companies in Vietnam.

Every summer, H'Linh flies back to Vietnam, both to visit family and to work as a tour guide. She says: “Tourists come to Vietnam not only to see the scenic spots but also to learn more about Vietnamese history, culture, and food… Therefore, I always enthusiastically explain and help them so that they have a memorable trip and retain beautiful images of my country.” Her income as a tour guide can sometimes reach 100 million VND per month. H'Linh H'Mok uses half of this money to buy plane tickets. The rest she gives to her mother to pay for her two younger siblings' tuition.

H'Linh H'Mok said that after completing her postgraduate studies and earning her doctorate, she will return to Vietnam to help her village and country. This is also a promise H'Linh made to her late father. She confided: "I always long for the day when I can return to Vietnam to contribute and help underprivileged, academically gifted ethnic minority children. I will always look for opportunities to help my people."

According to Vietnam.net