The determination of the top-scoring female student from Thanh Hoa to overcome adversity and pursue a career in PR.

I lost 7kg in 2 months of working part-time.

In Thanh Hoa province, where Dinh Thi Van (born in 1998, valedictorian of the Public Relations major at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) lives, after graduating from high school, many families plan for their children to go abroad for work.

Van said that in her hometown, people have a very simple mindset: "After graduating from university, the only purpose is to earn money," and advised her to go work abroad instead.

Therefore, the excellent graduation certificate obtained after four years of study is the result of the effort and determination of this girl from Thanh Hoa province.

Van's parents were both farmers who spent their lives working in the fields. To earn money to support their lives and their two children's education, during the off-season, they also took on additional work as construction laborers.

Although her family's finances weren't well-off, Van said her parents had quite "progressive" thinking, always encouraging their children to pursue their education.

Understanding her family's circumstances from her early years at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Van took on various part-time jobs to support herself and her studies.

Dinh Thi Van is the valedictorian of the Public Relations major at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. (Photo: Provided by the subject)

"Taking on part-time jobs to cover living expenses meant I lost quite a lot during my university years. For me, the issue of living expenses is very important."

"If I'm unemployed for just one or two months, it will significantly impact my life," Van shared.

When Van entered her second year of university, her younger sister also began studying at the Banking Academy.

From that time onwards, the expenses for her studies and living costs depended entirely on the wages she earned from part-time jobs.

Like many other students, unable to start with professional jobs, Van sought part-time work such as serving at restaurants and selling clothes.

After a while, realizing the need to gain experience while still in school, Van switched to applying for jobs related to her field of study.

Van was hired as a freelance writer for the Hanoi Accounting Group. The new job took her a long time to get used to. Her most memorable experience during this time was carrying her computer around, searching for help.

"At that time, my work was quite difficult and time-consuming. Many times I tried everything, but couldn't complete a single assignment. I also didn't know anyone with expertise in the field."

In that moment of desperation, I had to carry my computer along Luong The Vinh street, going from one computer repair shop to another to ask for help.

Many people found it strange, but after learning the reason, many were willing to guide me within their knowledge," Van recalled.

Having worked part-time since her university years, Van has accumulated a wealth of experience and knowledge. (Photo: Provided by the subject)

After accumulating the necessary knowledge, Van switched to working as a freelancer for a company specializing in study abroad consulting. According to her, this was the period when she skipped the most meals.

"My job is from 8 am to 12 pm, while classes at school usually start at 12:45 pm, so after work I don't have time to eat anything and have to take a bus to school to be on time for class."

"For two whole months, I lost 7kg and there were times when I felt like I couldn't keep going anymore," Van said.

Over four years, through various jobs, Van met many people, learned, and accumulated the necessary experience to be confident when she graduated.

"PR has changed itself."

In a conversation with a reporter from the Vietnam Education e-magazine, Van said that the field of Public Relations came to her by chance and that this field of study has helped her change a great deal.

When deciding to take the university entrance exam, Van consulted with many people, including her parents.

Believing that girls should choose gentle jobs, Van's parents steered her towards studying to become a teacher or a doctor.

Then, holding the university admission application form in her hand, Van decided to choose Public Relations as the major to pursue her dreams.

Van confided: "At that time, I didn't really know what Public Relations was. During my studies, there were times when I thought that this field of study might not be suitable for me because I am quite shy, afraid of crowds, and even afraid to express my thoughts in many situations."

But over the past four years, I have strived to change myself to better suit the field of study I have chosen.”

Van will always remember the moment she entered school that motivated her to change in order to suit her field of study. It was the first time Van held a microphone and gave a presentation about a lesson in front of the whole class.

Van's timid demeanor, hesitant speech, and trembling hands made many of her classmates burst into laughter, while Van herself thought to herself, "This will be the last time I give a presentation in front of a crowd."

Dinh Thi Van currently works as a communications officer for a technology company in Hanoi. (Photo: Provided by the subject)

After completing the general courses and delving deeper into her specialized subjects, Van was astonished to find that she had to give a presentation in front of the class in every single session.

Knowing she couldn't escape or remain safe as before, Van decided to change herself to suit her chosen field of study.

"I've always believed that the only way to overcome difficulties is not to avoid them, but to go through them."

"Instead of feeling anxious and scared every time it was time to give a presentation like before, I chose to face it by preparing thoroughly before each presentation," Van said.

The method Van used was to proactively time herself to practice speaking. She spoke more, even when no one was around, Van would stand in front of the mirror and practice speaking, practicing to control her body language.

With practice, Vân became more comfortable in subsequent presentations, confronting her fears with confidence and using flexible, relaxed language.

To achieve high results throughout her four years of study, Van said she had to work very hard to balance her study time and work time. Outside of work, Van always took advantage of every opportunity to study and improve her knowledge.

Understanding the demands of her field of study, in addition to reviewing classroom material, Van also dedicates significant time to following online information to keep up with global trends and find ways to apply the knowledge she gains to her work.

"Holding my Bachelor's degree in Public Relations in my hands, I often reflected on the time I had spent. What had I done? How hard had I tried? What results had I achieved after all that effort?"

"I have never regretted choosing this school or pursuing this major. The current results are also a great motivation for me to confidently step into life," Van confided.

With impressive academic achievements and work experience gained while studying and working simultaneously, after graduation, Dinh Thi Van was hired as a communications officer for a technology company in Hanoi.

According to Vietnamese Education