Girl with spinal muscular atrophy graduates from university with honors

Received diploma in wheelchair

Nguyen Phan Thao Nguyen, 22 years old, from Ninh Thuan, is among the few students who graduated with honors from Ton Duc Thang University this year. With 8.6/10 points, Nguyen received her honors degree in English Pedagogy. At today's graduation ceremony (November 1), Nguyen received her diploma in a wheelchair and the school's principal, Dr. Tran Trong Dao, sat down and presented it to her.

“I am very touched. My 4 years as a student were the most brilliant journey of my 22 years of life. The path I took was full of thorns but also filled with so much sunshine and love,” Nguyen said.

Dr. Tran Trong Dao, President of Ton Duc Thang University, sat down to present the diploma to Thao Nguyen.

Born healthy, but at 18 months old, illness began to strike Nguyen. To save their daughter, her parents, both doctors, took her to many places for treatment. However, the family was shocked when she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a disease that left Nguyen unable to walk, limited her mobility, and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

In middle school, Nguyen began to realize that her body was different from everyone else's. Seeing her friends running and joking around, she felt self-conscious about having to sit in a wheelchair. During high school, her psychology developed, and Nguyen just wanted to shrink herself for fear of bothering those around her. At this time, she had many thoughts, especially when comparing herself to others.

The question “why me, why am I sick” kept echoing in my head. Seeing her parents trying every way to treat her and encourage her every day, Nguyen decided not to give up. She determined that only going to school and going to school would bring her joy to forget her illness and physical disabilities.

'Standing on the podium is boundless joy'

4 years ago, Thao Nguyen enrolled in Ton Duc Thang University to study English Pedagogy with the hope of becoming a teacher in the future. Despite being in a wheelchair, studying was not a problem for Nguyen. During the 4 years of study, her scores were always 8.0 or higher. She also achieved IELTS 7.0 on her first attempt.

Thao Nguyen said that her university years helped her change her personality from a shy, introverted person to a person full of dreams and ambitions. It was during this time that Nguyen felt confident enough to do the same things as her peers. The university environment also gave her friends and teachers who were very supportive, including Ms. Thu Anh - the faculty's academic advisor who always supported her whenever she needed it, or Ms. Tuyet Tam who gave her reasonable advice when she was confused about which major to choose.

Nguyen Phan Thao Nguyen, 22 years old, from Ninh Thuan, received a degree with honors in English Pedagogy.

After graduating with honors, Nguyen decided to return to her hometown Ninh Thuan to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. With her disability, Nguyen knew it would be difficult to get a job in public schools. In the near future, she plans to open an English class at home to satisfy her passion for teaching, as well as provide learning conditions for disadvantaged children. At the same time, she works as an online tutor to improve her skills and experience, and when she has the opportunity, she will apply to become a teacher at a school near her home.

“For me, standing on the podium and inspiring students is boundless happiness,” she said.

The young girl believes that whatever you do, you must put your whole heart into it. Because only when you truly care can you give your all and do it with great responsibility. No matter what the result is, be proud of having tried your best. Failure is not the end, but sometimes it is simply a sign that we need to change.

Nguyen and his parents on their college graduation day with family

Present on the day his daughter received her diploma, Mr. Nguyen Thanh An said that the family only wanted her to have fun studying, to be able to interact with people, and forget her illness. Today, witnessing her receive her diploma with honors, for him it was an indescribable joy.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/co-gai-bi-teo-co-tuy-song-tot-nghiep-dai-hoc-loai-gioi-2337683.html