From selling vegetables in rural Vietnam to PhD scholarship in US: Woman defies odds

Nguyen Thi Vui received an acceptance letter and a scholarship of US$10,000 per semester for doing a doctorate in division of behavioral & organizational sciences from Claremont Graduate University, a prestigious 100-year school in the U.S., in March.

"I can't believe it," the 32-year-old says. "This is the 'sweet fruit' from the doctoral application that I spent over a year preparing."

She is currently in the final semester of an MBA program at California State University, Fullerton.

Nguyen Thi Vui at the campus of California State University-Fullerton, U.S. Photo courtesy of Vui

Vui was born into a farming family in the northern province of Thai Binh near Hanoi.

Since she was in secondary school, she worked part-time selling vegetables to cover her school fees and father's medical expenses.

She would wake up at 4 a.m. to cut vegetables, take them to the market, rush back home to change, and leave for school.

On her way home from the market, she would often avoid her classmates in their neat uniforms, feeling embarrassed about her dirt-stained clothes.

"I wasn't ashamed of selling vegetables, but I wanted to live a normal life like everyone else," she recalls.

"Whenever it was time to pay my tuition, my family struggled."

But she thinks these difficulties shaped her perseverance, discipline and ability to overcome challenges.

After school she would help her parents in the garden and study until late at night.

"I believed that only education could help me escape poverty," she says.

Vui pursued a degree in finance and banking at the Hanoi University of Business and Technology.

The most difficult time came when her father passed away during her second year of university.

Her mother suggested she either return home to farm or consider working abroad like many of her peers in her hometown.

Vui recalls: "That suggestion hurt me deeply. I refused right away, telling her that I wanted to study and would do my best."

To support herself in Hanoi, she started teaching aerobics in the mornings and on weekends despite having no prior experience.

She learned the moves from elderly people exercising in a nearby park and found music online to create her routines.

In 2016 Vui studied for a master's in economics while also working at a bank.

While many of her friends began thinking about marriage, Vui was not ready and had higher aspirations.

She decided to learn English.

Lacking the money to join a language center, she learned by guiding foreign tourists every evening in the old quarter, a tourist hub in downtown Hanoi.

She says: "Tourists would offer to pay me, but I would not accept the money. Instead, I would ask them to correct my English."

At first, she knew only a few basic phrases but was eager to talk. Each conversation opened up an interesting story, and she was thrilled to use English to talk about her life and dreams.

"Keep going, your English is very good," many tourists would encourage her, with some even suggesting she could study abroad.

At first she was shaking her head in disbelief but eventually decided to explore the possibility. Her goal was to obtain an MBA in the U.S. or Australia.

She then prepared her application and focused on improving her English to take the IELTS. She often studied late at night and early in the morning using books she had found herself.

In early 2023 Vui was accepted into the MBA program she desired at California State University, Fullerton.

With US$3,000 in hand, she arrived a month early to find housing and a part-time job. But despite cycling for hours every day to search for an affordable long-term rental, she could not find one.

Besides, her F-1 non-immigrant visa for students wishing to live in the U.S. temporarily to study at an accredited school, college or seminary meant she couldn't work off-campus during her first year, and it took her a full month to get a job on campus.

She says: "Just as my money was running out, I got a job. I was so relieved I nearly cried."

She worked as a student assistant, supporting professors and organizing events.

Nguyen Thi Vui poses for a photo with her instructor and teammate at a mental health workshop in the U.S., October 2024. Photo courtesy of Vui

Once she started her classes, Vui quickly adapted by reading the study materials thoroughly beforehand and then engaging in discussions with professors and classmates.

She believes this also helped her build relationships.

Professor Joseph Cervantes at her university says Vui was highly regarded by faculty and peers for her "lively personality and strong academic performance."

"Vui is intelligent, resilient, driven to pursue long-term goals, and always cheerful and sociable with everyone.

"This impression has remained unchanged since I first met her in Vietnam six years ago."

At that time had been interning in the finance department at the Foreign Trade University, where Cervantes taught business administration.

After a conversation, he encouraged her to pursue an MBA in the U.S. and offered to help her practice English.

"I was really surprised when she got accepted into the very school I have been teaching for nearly 30 years," he says.

In August Vui will begin her PhD which is likely to take five more years.

She hopes to do research into creative leadership models suitable for Vietnam, which could help improve job opportunities for disadvantaged groups, especially rural women.

"I'm entering a new chapter where I can deepen my knowledge and create positive change," Vui says.

"This journey requires courage, and I'm ready. I'm still the same person I was before coming to the U.S.: curious, humble and always aiming to return and contribute to society."