Mai Nguyen Thuy Anh, the first student to join Hope School, arrived carrying the profound loss of her father, who passed away unexpectedly during the Covid-19 pandemic. At one point, her education seemed at risk of being cut short. With the support she found at Hope School, she continued moving forward and is now a third-year Medical Laboratory Technology student, pursuing her dream of building a career in healthcare.
More than five years since its establishment, Hope School has welcomed 363 children from 29 provinces and cities across Vietnam. The school also recently marked the first anniversary of its new campus, which spans more than 6,500 square meters and features modern five-story buildings and a fully equipped residential complex. The campus is located near FPT Complex, where FPT Software engineers work in Da Nang.
The First Girl to Say Yes to Hope School
Thuy Anh was among the first children to agree to move to Hope School in Da Nang, a school established to provide care, education, and long-term support for children who lost their parents during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the time, Thuy Anh was struggling with the enormous void left by her father’s passing. The sudden loss left her devastated and withdrawn, and at one point she considered dropping out of school.
While she was still struggling to find her way through the grief, teachers from Hope School visited her home. Their conversation with the family was simple and heartfelt. Thuy Anh sat quietly, holding a brochure about the school tightly in her hands.
Hope School had only recently been established, and very little information about it was available at the time. To reassure her remaining family members and help them feel comfortable with the idea of sending her to Hope School, the teachers spent considerable time explaining the school’s mission, why it had been created for children affected by the pandemic, and the people behind the initiative, including FPT Chairman Mr. Truong Gia Binh, who initiated the establishment of the school.
The mention of FPT brought a sense of familiarity to the family. Thuy Anh herself knew a little about FPT from television and FPT stores in her hometown.
As the conversation continued, she began to seriously consider the possibility of moving to Da Nang to study. Feeling the care and trust surrounding her, Thuy Anh made up her mind and said yes that very day.
Mai Nguyen Thuy Anh during her first days at Hope School.Mr. Hoang Quoc Quyen, Hope School Project Director, still vividly remembers Thuy Anh’s nod of agreement that day. She was the first student to say yes to joining the school, at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic remained unpredictable and Hope School itself was only beginning to take shape.
For those who had been building the school from the ground up, that simple nod carried special meaning. For the first time, the hopes, efforts, and belief that tens of thousands of FPT employees had placed in Hope School received an answer.
Thuy Anh became the school’s first student, and her decision gave the teachers greater confidence to continue their journey of welcoming more children into the Hope School family.
Beyond the trust she placed in the school, Thuy Anh also knew that she did not want to remain trapped in sadness. She chose Hope School because she wanted to begin a new chapter in her life.
At the time, she could hardly have imagined how significant that decision would become.
FPT Chairman Mr. Truong Gia Binh congratulates Thuy Anh at Hope School’s graduation ceremony. Photo: Nguyen Dong.In her early days at Hope School, Thuy Anh’s life gradually became filled with ordinary routines again: attending classes, sharing meals with friends, gardening, learning to sing, and practicing Vovinam.
What made those simple moments different was that she no longer had to go through them alone. She had friends to study and live alongside, and teachers who were always there when she needed support.
Her sadness did not disappear overnight. But day by day at Hope School, Thuy Anh became more independent and open. She embraced new experiences and gradually regained the confidence to move forward.
Hope School became her second home during the years when she needed support the most.
In June 2024, Thuy Anh was among 10 Grade 12 students participating in Hope School’s first graduation ceremony. The milestone brought the two ends of her journey at the school together: one of Hope School’s very first students had completed high school and was ready to begin a new chapter.
Continuing Her Journey in Healthcare
Today, Mai Nguyen Thuy Anh is a third-year Medical Laboratory Technology student at Phan Chau Trinh University in Da Nang.
Her university journey has been supported through cooperation between FPT and Phan Chau Trinh University, which provides scholarships to help Hope School students pursue higher education.
For Thuy Anh, the opportunity means more than simply continuing her education. It also brings her closer to a personal aspiration: to one day use her knowledge and skills to help others, just as she once received support during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
Thuy Anh, in white at the front, attends the inauguration ceremony of Hope School’s new campus on August 8, 2025.From a girl who once considered leaving school behind, Thuy Anh has come a long way through her own determination and effort. Along that journey, Hope School became a home where she could grow.
That is why, even after graduating, Thuy Anh continues to return regularly. “Everything here feels like home to me,” Thuy Anh said.
Whenever the school has an event or celebrates a special occasion, she makes time around her university schedule to return and lend a hand without hesitation.
Thuy Anh (far right), wearing her Phan Chau Trinh University medical student uniform at Hope School’s fifth anniversary celebration on June 13, 2026.That sense of belonging can be seen in the smallest moments.
As soon as she returns, the younger children gather around her to chat, while teachers welcome their former student with warm hugs. At mealtimes, Thuy Anh still remembers exactly where to pick up her tray. She naturally joins the cafeteria line just as she did as a student and washes her dishes afterward, following the familiar daily routine of Hope School.
Perhaps these simple moments best capture what Hope School has given her. It has been more than a place to study; it has become a home filled with care and belonging.
More importantly, Hope School has helped reshape the path ahead for Thuy Anh, taking her from a moment when her education nearly came to an end to a university lecture hall—and bringing her closer to her dream of **building a career in healthcare.
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“Growing Up with Hope” is a series of stories about the children of Hope School, founded by FPT Corporation in 2021.
The series follows children who lost a parent during the Covid-19 pandemic from the day they were welcomed into Hope School, through years of care, education, and personal growth, to the moment they step into adulthood.
Alongside them throughout this journey are FPT employees who have contributed to building a home where children who experienced profound loss can find the support they need to grow, pursue their dreams, and move confidently toward the future.