From a remote village to a prestigious university: Hang Thi Ly’s inspiring journey

Born into a Hmong ethnic minority family, with her parents working as farmers struggling to raise five children, Hang Thi Ly understands better than anyone the hardships and bitterness of poverty. It always acted as a barrier, that hinders the dreams of an ethnic minority girl to step into the world, liberate herself, and pursue a brighter future. After completing high school, due to her family’s financial difficulties, Ly had to give up on her dream of studying at university. “This is it”, Ly thought. “I’ll never go any further in life.”

However, that wasn't the end. Through recommendations of her friends, Ly found REACH and enrolled in the Sales & Marketing program at the former REACH center in Ho Chi Minh City. "Because I’m an introvert and pretty bad in communicating, I chose to study Sales with the hope of improving my communication skills and quickly obtaining a job to help my family," Ly shares.

As an environment dedicated to serving the most disadvantaged youth, REACH helped Ly grow through both technical and soft skills training such as effective communication and building self-esteem. As a result, the once shy girl was not only skilled in Sales & Marketing but also became more confident and empowered to be successful on the job and in life. Thanks to this, after graduating from REACH, Ly found a job as saleswoman and gradually built a stable life.

During her studies with REACH, Ly encountered health issues and had to be hospitalized. During this difficult time, far away from her family, the teachers at REACH became a solid support to her. "I feel like REACH is my second home, and the teachers are like family members who always help and create the best opportunities for me. I'm very grateful for that," Ly says.

Every year REACH has the great chance to nominate excellent students for the “RMIT Vietnam Opportunity Scholarship”. Despite her challenging background, Ly stood out with an exceptional educational track record and her active contribution to the REACH community. In 2022, Ly was honored to receive a scholarship for a bachelor's program at RMIT University Vietnam. This scholarship was like a miracle to her. Ly never thought she would be able study at a prestigious international university like RMIT.

Ly’s story shows the great potential that lies in every young person. By giving them a helping hand, we nourish their potential and accompany them step by step on their journey to success. At REACH, we are extremely thankful for each and every student’s success journey that motivates us every day to continue our work.