It is Friday, which is when we hear from StoryCorps. And today, we have a story about new beginnings. Ngoc Nguyen was born in Vietnam near the end of the U.S.-led war there. She left school when she was young to help support her family. She emigrated to the United States in her 20s and continued to work. And then at 45, Ms. Nguyen enrolled in a GED program. She came to StoryCorps with her teacher Chris Myers to talk about what his class meant to her.
NGOC NGUYEN: After the war, my dad was in prison. My mom had to take care of five of us. And I had to go out to work when I was, like, in sixth or seventh grade. And when I get to 10th grade, I just drop out.
CHRIS MYERS: You never gave any hint that you had had that kind of childhood.
NGUYEN: Yes. There's a lot of things to tell about my childhood. But I just want to ask you one question.
NGUYEN: Well, you know, sometimes, in the classroom, I know that we'd get on your nerves sometimes (laughter).
MYERS: OK. So are you wanting to know, do you guys get on my nerves sometimes? Yes. No, I'm going to choose my words wisely, because first and foremost, this is honest to God truth. So many people work, and they don't even like what they do. And they'll tell you, OK, we'll go get that paycheck, right? But if the only time you're happy is when you get paid, that's a waste of a life. What a lot of people don't know about instructing - when you do it right, you're allowing somebody to go into you and take energy away from you. And you have to do that. So I end up very drained sometimes. But at the end of the day, whatever it is that my learners take out, they put back in me.
NGUYEN: You go out of your way to do for us. And I really appreciate that.
MYERS: You know, I had a student tell me they saw you when you were crying when you passed the last test. Every bit of work that we've ever done to get you to this point - it was worth it just to know that you were crying tears of joy, that I helped you do something that you're so happy about, you had tears - because with you, it wasn't an easy mission. Like, think about it after you took your first test. The first score was, like, a 2, right? And I know that can be extremely discouraging. I have a lot of students that I don't see any more after that. But then to see you back the next day, I'm like, OK, we're fighting. And when I see a fighter, I get excited. I'm like, OK, bring it.  And that's how I feel.
NGUYEN: I just want to tell you that I really appreciate what you've done for me. You change people's lives because after I passed my GED, I feel like I have wings now. I can fly.
MYERS: You can. And don't let anybody tell you that you can't.
INSKEEP: Ngoc Nguyen with her teacher Chris Myers in Oklahoma City. Their conversation will be archived with all other StoryCorps conversations at the Library of Congress.
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