But this return was unlike the previous ones. It was not simply about exchanging greetings and catching up; this time, she brought with her a handwritten letter — modest, slightly trembling strokes from hands that had been retired for 17 years, yet still full of affection for the university to which she had devoted her entire life. She said: “I’m old now, my hands shake, so I can’t write much. If I were still young, I could fill a few A4 pages for you to read.” Then she handed us that letter which is short, sincere, and brimming with pride: about a home that had nurtured three generations, about a love for the profession, for people, and for an institution bearing the name Thuyloi.
The Handwritten Letter “Thuyloi Family” by Ms. Nguyen Thi Diep
Ms. Nguyen Thi Diep was born in the Red River Delta, where irrigation canals nourished the land and sustained the lives of its people. At 18, she graduated from the Central College of Water Resources and was assigned to Lang Son to work at the Department of Water Resources from August 1971. At that time, her work involved managing reservoirs and ensuring irrigation for agricultural areas. It was a quiet, challenging but deeply meaningful job.
In 1973, she married Mr. Duong The Hung, a comrade in the same field who shared her ideals. After 10 years of service in Lang Son, she was recommended to prepare for the university entrance exam, and in August 1981 officially became a student in Class 17KT, Faculty of Economics, at Thuyloi University. Upon graduating in 1985, she worked in the Department of Academic Affairs, later moving to the Department of Political and Student Affairs, where she remained until her retirement in 2008.
Over nearly 26 years of service, she not only fulfilled her duties as an officer but also acted as a mentor who is meticulous in every decision, every scholarship policy, every student regulation. She always adhered strictly to regulations, carefully researching each matter before submitting it for the leadership’s approval. As she put it: “If I do things right, the ‘boss’ can rest assured. I must be the one to take responsibility, not do things carelessly.”
Her memories of those working years remain vivid. She recalled the days of typing on clattering typewriters and writing documents by hand, then the early days when the entire office shared only a few computers, each person allotted just two hours a day. There were times she had to bring admissions documents to the Ministry to be distributed to provincial Departments of Education and Training, introducing academic programs to attract students to Thuyloi University. During peak admissions season, she worked late into the night, then return the next morning to process decisions on commendations, scholarships, disciplinary actions, and transfers. She believed that student affairs work could never be done superficially, because behind each decision was a person’s future.
She memorized the regulations, understood each case thoroughly, and never allowed personal interest to influence her work. Once, a student (he was a former soldier) who had already received a benefit once came to demand the policy again. She refused, and the case was escalated to the Ministry. The Ministry of Education and Training eventually issued an official response confirming that she had handled the matter entirely correctly. She said: “It’s easy to do something wrong, but doing the right thing is hard. We must do the right thing so that no one has to bear the consequences in our place.”
For her, Thuyloi University was not just a workplace, but part of her very being. She personally guided her children toward studying at the university, even if it sometimes met resistance from youthful independence. Her son, Mr. Duong The Cuong, an alumnus of Class 34V, Faculty of Hydrology, worked at the CPO – Ministry of Water Resources (now defunct). Her daughter, Ms. Duong Thi Thu Huong, Class 40C1, Faculty of Civil Engineering, is now working in the Department of Academic Affairs at Thuyloi University. Her son-in-law, Mr. Nghiem Xuan Thuan, Class 38C3, works at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Her granddaughter, Nghiem Khanh Linh, is currently a third-year student in the Faculty of Economics and Management, continuing the family’s Thuyloi story.
She said that no one in her family is unconnected to Thuyloi — not because of coercion, but because growing up in the love for the profession shown by their parents, the children naturally understood its value and wished to carry it forward. “Luckily they studied at Thuyloi University, that’s how they met each other, and we became a true Thuyloi family,” she joked, but in her words was deep pride.
Ms. Diep and her niece who is student at Thuyloi University
For Ms. Diep, the most precious thing at Thuyloi University was not just its facilities, but a humane, respectful working environment where colleagues helped one another instead of competing for personal gain. She often recalled Mr. Do Cao Dam, the supervisor she revered as a “mentor”, who always trusted and guided her wholeheartedly. She also spoke of leaders such as Mr. Nguyen Khac Xuong, Prof. Dr. Pham Ngoc Quy, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Lai who exemplary, dedicated, and approachable, treating subordinates like family. Without their guidance, she said, she could not have completed her work over those 26 years.
She also expressed gratitude to the current generation of leaders, once her younger colleagues, including Ms. Dang Huong Giang, Mr. Tran Khac Thac, and Mr. Nguyen Van Thin, sending them her thanks with complete sincerity and trust.
Listening to her stories was not just to learn about a bygone era, but to feel more deeply the value of our own work. She once said: “The love for Thuyloi is not something far away, it’s in the daily work, in every student you help, in the smallest but kindest things”. That is a lesson no textbook can teach — only learned through people like her, who have spent a lifetime with Thuyloi, with unwavering faith and passion for the profession.
As she left, she turned to look at the familiar buildings and said softly: “If I could choose again, I would still choose Thuyloi.” The words were gentle, without embellishment or drama, but they carried powerful conviction. And I knew this was not only the choice of one person, but the quiet voice of an entire family, where Thuyloi University is not just a career, but a bond connecting generations with gratitude, responsibility, and pride.
