The young girl who chose being a teacher over a maid

When we think of inspiring women, figures like Mother Teresa, Sheryl Sandberg and Oprah Winfrey come to mind. But in all parts of the world- big and small, there are women who are setting great examples for all those around them, even if we don’t hear about them. Today we introduce you to a one such woman: Tay Thi Nguyen- a 21 year old girl from a small village in Vietnam, who defying her parents’ wishes to become a domestic maid, worked hard and became a teacher.

Coming from a poor family that struggled everyday to put food on the table, Nguyen was often pressured by her parents to work in a factory or as a domestic maid, so she contribute to the household income. But being a strong-willed woman Nguyen fought with them each time and continued her studies with the help of Room to Read, a global organization dedicated to promoting and enabling education through programs focused on literacy and gender equality in education.

Tay Thi Nguyen

Picture By: NY Times.com

According to a report by The Huffington Post, she told Room to Read, “I am from a poor family, but my will is not poor… Poor students do not have many advanced learning opportunities. I am adamant to give myself this opportunity. In remote areas, Vietnamese students do not have many good English teachers. I will fight for my future and for these students.”

Despite seeing her books being burnt by her parents twice, Nguyen found ways to support her dream. She worked odd jobs to pay for her tuition, secretly studied for her college exams and even fainted a few times since she ate little to save money. Today she is a teacher who isn’t just an inspiration to her siblings, who too want to pursue their studies, and her students, but all of us who are being touched by her remarkable story.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: The Huffington Post

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