Our family has three sons. The eldest was born in 2000 – the same year RMIT came to Vietnam. Nine years later, when our youngest was born, I registered a priority entry for the eldest to study at RMIT through a partnership program between a life insurance company and the university.
Having worked for over 20 years at a multinational company, I understood that a professional learning environment would be the best foundation for my children's growth. To achieve this, they were not pressured into rote learning from a young age, but instead nurtured through a focus on attitude, priorities, balance and clear goals. I also noticed that in my company's management trainee programs, candidates from international universities - especially RMIT - always stood out for their capabilities.
When my eldest entered university, although the priority letter from years ago was no longer valid, our family supported him to explore options, and he chose RMIT Vietnam. There, he not only studied but also actively joined extracurricular activities, serving as President of the Badminton Club, facing challenges and growing through every event. Three years later, his younger brother followed in his footsteps. The two brothers studied at the same university, lived away from home, learned to care for themselves and each other - which reassured us greatly.
Diem's eldest son had his transformative experience when serving as the President of the Badminton Club
The eldest, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, could not go on exchange to RMIT Australia. He graduated and now works in logistics. The second son studied at RMIT Vietnam for two years, spent one year on exchange in Australia, completed his bachelor's degree there, and is now pursuing his Master's at RMIT Australia. Throughout their studies, they often shared with us the struggles and solutions they came up with: from "nosebleeds" while rushing deadlines, to balancing study and part-time work, to covering all expenses in Australia without asking us for support.
Diem's family attended their second son's graduation ceremony at RMIT Melbourne, Australia
The graduation ceremonies were unforgettable - one for the eldest in Vietnam, and one for the second in Australia. The solemn and respectful atmosphere of the ceremonies moved us to tears of happiness. We were proud to see our sons mature, and grateful that they had chosen and persevered in their journey at RMIT - a place that helped them go beyond even our expectations.
The youngest, having observed his brothers' journeys over the years, set his own goals and was admitted to the same high school as his brothers - with even higher marks. When he heard his brothers firmly answer "No" to the question, "If years ago, instead of letting you study at RMIT, we had given you VND 1 billion to start a business, would you choose differently?" - we knew the youngest had already set his sights on continuing this educational and personal legacy.
Diem's family in their son's graduation ceremony at RMIT Vietnam
We truly cherish and are grateful for this journey - one whose value lies not only in the degrees earned, but also in the resilience, skills and readiness to step into the world that our children have gained at RMIT.
