Congratulations to alumna Đồng Thị Hải Yến, Class of 2024, who has officially become a Mental Health Science Research Intern at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Research Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA)—two of the world’s leading universities in public health.
This past June, Hải Yến graduated with honors from Fulbright University Vietnam, double-majoring in Psychology and Vietnam Studies. She graduated cum laude, ranking among the top 20% of students with the highest grade point average, and her graduation thesis also received Honors distinction.
Beyond her passion for understanding the mental health of people with disabilities in Vietnam, Hải Yến actively supports and develops the visually impaired community in particular and the disabled community in general.
Join Fulbright as we delve into the inspiring story of this resilient young woman.
Despite facing numerous challenges in her studies, she has never given up.
Hải Yến is a dynamic and eager-to-learn visually impaired alumna. Despite facing numerous challenges in her studies, she has never given up. With the support of her teachers and friends, she discovered her passion for research.
As a visually impaired student, Hải Yến encountered significant obstacles in accessing materials, particularly historical documents with blurred images and handwriting that couldn’t be converted into screen reader-friendly formats. To assist her, Fulbright University’s Academic Affairs department assembled a team to convert documents into accessible text, enabling Yến to engage with learning content more easily and efficiently.
“I’m deeply grateful to Fulbright for choosing to believe in me—a visually impaired person—and giving me the opportunity to develop myself,” Hải Yến shared.
Alongside her passion for research, Hải Yến is dedicated to community service. She co-founded “Spa Khiếm Thị MY – Massage Trị Liệu” in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, and The VIP Companion (VIC), a project focusing on skills development and career guidance for people with disabilities.
The core course “Modern Vietnamese Culture and Society”
At Fulbright University, one of Hải Yến’s favorite courses was “Modern Vietnamese Culture and Society.” Born into a family affected by an inherited eye disease—passed down through three generations due to Agent Orange exposure—Hải Yến was eager to understand the roots and impacts of historical conflicts that have profoundly affected her family’s life and those of many other Vietnamese people.
In this core course, Hải Yến was first exposed to rich historical materials and multifaceted perspectives. She realized that history isn’t just a collection of dry facts, but a powerful source of motivation to better understand the stories of previous generations. “Vietnam Studies has deepened my appreciation for our history and national identity, helped me value what Vietnamese people have, and strengthened my patriotism,” she reflected.
The decision to double major in Vietnam Studies and Psychology
The core course “Modern Vietnamese Culture and Society” became the cornerstone for Hải Yến’s decision to pursue a double major in Vietnam Studies and Psychology.
While studying the disabled community in Vietnam, she recognized that stigma often stems from the “moral burden” placed on people with disabilities. They are frequently perceived as unable to “repay the debt of gratitude” to their families due to difficulties in finding stable employment.
“I want to explore my own identity and community within the Vietnamese context, because culture is the ‘cradle’ where each person is born and nurtures their personality. Psychological research cannot be separated from local culture,” Hải Yến explained.
In her final year at Fulbright, Hải Yến developed a meaningful graduation project titled “Visual Impairment and the Experience of Stigma in Vietnam: A Narrative Psychological Inquiry.” She continues to collaborate with Dr. Matthew McDonald and Dr. Lan Nguyen, two Psychology lecturers at Fulbright, to publish the thesis in the “British Journal of Social Psychology”—a leading scientific journal in the field of social psychology in the UK.
Drawing on her experience in Psychology and Vietnam Studies, coupled with her desire to develop the local visually impaired community, Hải Yến successfully impressed the review board and secured positions as a Mental Health Science Research Intern at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Research Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA). Once again, congratulations to Hải Yến—we wish her a bright and successful journey ahead.
