The Founder

Dear Parents and Dear Students,

My name is Pham Ha My, and I am currently living in London, United Kingdom, as the founder of Hamy Academy. Allow me to share my journey of learning and striving, in the hope that it might inspire someone.

I was born in Nam Dinh City, Vietnam. As a child, I didn’t attend kindergarten, and it wasn’t until the age of five that I started attending a pre-primary class. My family did not prioritize my education, and from then until adulthood, I was never reminded to sit down and study. My sense of self-discipline developed very early on. I still remember how much I longed for a big blackboard back then. Without a dedicated study space, I “designed” my own desk using a folding chair. I used the leather back of another chair as my “blackboard” and wrote on it with chalk. Sitting on a small stool, I felt happy and began exploring my first letters.

I desperately wanted to learn to play a musical instrument, but my mother said, “They only teach those with talent.” However, I had never met any teachers to determine whether I had talent or not. It wasn’t until I grew older that I understood it was because our family couldn’t afford it at the time. My mother moved to the Czech Republic when I was eight years old.

I attended a nearby primary school and was always part of the performing arts team, which later became the inspiration for my career. I even won second place in the Golden Nightingale Singing Contest of Nam Dinh City. Excelling in the City’s Academic Excellence Competition earned me direct admission to Tran Dang Ninh Secondary School, the best in Nam Dinh Province. There, I consistently ranked in the top 10 of the English Olympiad team and won awards in the City’s Academic Excellence Competition each year.

After completing 8th grade, I moved to the Czech Republic. At that time, I faced numerous challenges, especially the language barrier. The city I lived in didn’t offer Czech language classes, nor were there online learning options like today. I had only one Czech language textbook written in English, and I had to teach myself. Fortunately, my English was already quite good. Overcoming various obstacles, I successfully passed the entrance exam for the best school in Karlovarský kraj, První české gymnázium, after just a year and a half of living in the Czech Republic.

Thanks to my excellent grades in Mathematics and English throughout high school (averaging under 1.5 on a 5-point scale), I was directly admitted to the Faculty of Information and Statistics at the University of Economics, Prague (Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze). Alongside my studies at the gymnasium, I was fortunate to take vocal and piano lessons at Základní umělecká škola Antonína Dvořáka. After a year of studying economics, I was determined to pursue a professional music career to make up for the missed opportunities in my childhood. I gained admission to the Prague International Conservatory and later moved to London to study for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. I was honored to attend Royal Holloway, a top 20 global arts institution (according to QS rankings).

In 2023, I organized a Piano and Vietnamese Singing Competition for Vietnamese youth across Europe. This event aimed to preserve and celebrate Vietnamese-European culture while encouraging parents to rethink the value of arts education. The competition attracted many highly qualified advisors and judges, as well as support from leading organizations, businesses, and significant media coverage.

Looking back on my achievements, I still feel I haven’t reached my full potential or met my own expectations. However, one thing I am deeply proud of is my strong sense of self-discipline, which has enabled me to overcome adversities and achieve my goals, no matter how long or challenging the path.

I founded Hamy Academy to share the love of learning that comes from someone born in Nam Dinh, a region renowned for its academic excellence. Additionally, for any profitable events organized by Hamy Academy, I often allocate a portion to charitable causes supporting underprivileged and orphaned children. We also design educational programs to assist them because I firmly believe that education is the only way to change lives.

I hope that when you join Hamy Academy, you will be inspired to cultivate self-discipline and benefit from our dedicated teaching. Together, we aim to spread humanity and a sense of social responsibility.