Granny Earns Master’s Degree At Age 71, She Traveled 200KM Daily For Class

71-year-old granny earns a master’s degree

Some people say you’re never too old to learn, and this granny from Tiền Giang Province, Vietnam, seems to have taken that as her life motto.

At 67 years old, she enrolled in a master’s program at a university in Saigon to set an example for her grandchildren. 4 years have passed since then, and now, she’s just earned her degree at 71.

Here’s how her story has become an inspiration for us all.

She did it to set an example for her grandchildren

Mdm. Phạm Kim Hoàng during her thesis defense earlier this May
Image credit: Văn Hiến University

Mdm. Phạm Kim Hoàng, a retired teacher living in Tiền Giang Province, recently made headlines on several Vietnamese news sites after earning her Master’s degree at the age of 71.

Explaining her decision to continue pursuing her education at such an unconventional time in her life, Mdm. Hoàng said it was to inspire her grandchildren.

Image credit: VNExpress

“I noticed that my grandchildren often neglected their studies, and I wanted them to focus more on their education. However, just telling them with words felt empty and forced to me, so I took action to set an example for them,” Mdm. Hoàng said in an interview with the Văn Hiến University in Saigon, where she studied for her degree.

It’s amazing how far the granny has been willing to go for her grandchildren’s sake.

And when we say go far, we mean it literally in this case.

She traveled 200KM every day to attend class

Image credit: Văn Hiến University

As Mdm. Hoàng lives in Tiền Giang Province, 100KM away from Saigon, merely attending classes was no easy task. She often had to take buses to cross that distance each day.

Counting the return trip, that’s 200KM she traveled a day, pretty much daily, for 4 years straight. Talk about resilience.

Thankfully, all her hard work did pay off in the end. Earlier this month, she successfully defended her thesis and is now set to receive a Master’s Degree in Business Management.

Image credit: Tuổi Trẻ

“I was a literature teacher before my retirement, so I wanted to study something new this time for a change. I chose business management as my major because it seemed the most practical. Hopefully, with the knowledge I’ve acquired, I can offer advice to my grandchildren if they decide to start a business in the future,” Mdm. Hoàng shared her reason for going out of her area of expertise.

We definitely acknowledge and respect the sacrifices she’s made to inspire her grandchildren.

Granny gets a master’s degree to inspire her grandchildren

As Mdm. Hoàng said herself, at her age, earning a master’s degree is no longer about getting a well-paying job. She simply finds joy in studying, and in inspiring young people.

Indeed, we can all look up to figures like her to find the motivation to continue improving ourselves.

In the meantime, we also wish Mdm. Hoàng all the best in whatever adventure she chooses to undertake next.

For more Vietnamese stories, check out:

Cover image adapted from Văn Hiến University and Tuổi Trẻ

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