On May 11, 2019, the 1^st Graduation Ceremony in 2019 was held at Ho Chi Minh City Open University for the training mode of part-time and distance education, the ceremony took place in a solemn and warm atmosphere. Attending the Ceremony were the presence of teachers and students, especially the participation of relatives and friends of more than 300 new bachelors and engineers in the fields of Economic Law, Business Administration, Accounting, Economics specialized in Economics and Law, Construction Engineering Technology specialized in Civil and Industrial Construction, Construction Engineering Technology specialized in Water Supply and Drainage, English language, Social Works, Banking and Finance, English Language specialized in Business English, Social Studies specialized in Social Studies on Organization and Human Resource Management, Computer Science, Computer Science specialized in Computer Network, English Language specialized in Teaching Methods, and Biotechnology.

For all students, the Graduation Ceremony is an important milestone marking the fruits of the effort throughout the long journey of learning at school. And this day becomes even more special and meaningful with both Mrs. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc and her daughter Ms. Nguyen Thanh Hien. Wearing the same new Bachelor's outfit in the Graduation Ceremony, they are mistaken for being sisters by many people although there is a significant age gap between them. The Mother has always been a supporter and companion of the studies of her child, but with Mrs. Ngoc, she is no longer a participant, watching and congratulating her daughter on receiving a diploma, but now, she has doubled her joy with her daughter by receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Economic Law in the 1^st Graduation Ceremony in 2019. It is hard to believe that both mother and daughter share this special moment, both of them have worked very hard together. Mrs. Bich Ngoc is now 63 years old, but still remains passionate and pursues the path of learning overcoming the health and age barriers.

One of the motivations for Mrs. Bich Ngoc to continue pursuing her study at this age is that when she was young, she had to attend the army, then she got married; in her time, the economic situation was still difficult; and, there are few opportunities to study so now she wants to fulfill her childhood dream. Currently, she is involved in social works; her work is very much related to the law so she needs to foster more knowledge for herself to serve the people, advice on marriage and family, and land, etc. What makes she regrets most is that she does not have much time to study because she is 63 years old now. “Because I have my family and work, and it is a pity for me to not be able to study more because of my old age. There is no limit to learning, right? I think that age is not the biggest barrier, just having dreams and we will find a suitable environment to study and foster ourselves, serving our specialty fields”.

Ms. Hien herself is also very proud to be graduated on the same day with her mother. This is probably the most special thing that not everyone has ever had a chance to experience. She understands her mother's desire to study and knows that Ho Chi Minh City Open University – with the mission of bringing the learning opportunities to everyone – is a dynamic learning environment for all ages, at all time suitable for working people, older people like her and her mother. So, Ms. Hien signed up for both to study in Economics Law. Although she knows there will be many difficulties during the study, because both Ms. Hien and her mother have to study and work at the same time, not to mention that her mother was old; yet, even so, both of them have worked hard to get the best achievements in the school years and graduate at the same day.