A five-year scholarship program at Trần Quốc Tuấn High School honoring academic excellence, perseverance, and distinguished teaching — established by a Vietnamese-American family rooted in Quảng Ngãi.
The Pham Foundation is building a long-term educational scholarship program at Trần Quốc Tuấn High School in Quảng Ngãi — the hometown of the Foundation's founders. The program supports student excellence and recognizes outstanding educators, grounded in the family's philosophy of stewardship, humility, and long-term commitment.
This is not a one-time gift. It is a five-year commitment — $5,000 per year from 2026 to 2031. Each annual transfer is a separate grant renewed at the Foundation's discretion, administered through a grant agreement that governs both parties' obligations. It is built to outlast the complexity of distance and to honor both students and teachers who often go unrecognized. The Foundation's intent is to honor the full five years. The structure ensures accountability on both sides.
Pham Foundation is a California-based private family foundation established in 2021 by Scott H. Pham and Tammy T. Duong. Scott was born in Quảng Ngãi in 1971. Tammy is an alumna of Trần Quốc Tuấn High School. The Quảng Ngãi scholarship program is the family's way of giving back to the community and school that shaped them.
The program operates under a formal grant agreement — a binding document that establishes the Foundation's obligations, the school's responsibilities, annual reporting requirements, and IRS expenditure responsibility compliance. The Foundation does not register as a foreign NGO in Vietnam and does not open a Vietnam office. The school manages its host-country compliance responsibilities under applicable Vietnamese law, including provincial education authority approval (Sở GD&ĐT Quảng Ngãi) before the first grant is disbursed. The Foundation supports that process and provides documentation as needed — but the grant is an act of trust in the institution, not a mechanism of control over it.
"We see you. The student who stays up late with a difficult problem. The student who shows up every day regardless of what yesterday held. The teacher who gives more than is ever asked. You are the reason this program exists."— Scott H. Pham & Tammy T. Duong, Pham Foundation
Awards are structured across grade levels to honor the full journey of a student's growth — from the first year of finding one's footing, through the deepening demands of the middle year, to the final year of becoming. The Teacher of Distinction stands apart: the program's tribute to the educators who make everything else possible.
"You are seen. You are encouraged. The program recognizes you early and plants a seed."
"You are growing. The award reflects deepening achievement or strengthening character."
"You are honored. The highest recognition the program offers — bestowed by the faculty who have known you across your years at this school."
"Tôn sư trọng đạo. Selected entirely by school administration — no vote, no ranking, no competition. Two teachers honored equally."
For students who set a high goal for themselves and are willing to do the hard work required to reach it — students who take learning seriously, who respect the opportunity education gives them, and who strive to achieve the highest level possible.
This honor is not only about being naturally talented. It is about discipline, preparation, persistence, and the daily choice to keep improving. It belongs to students who study when it is difficult, who ask more of themselves, and who build habits that will carry them far beyond one school year.
Some students arrive at school every day carrying weight that most people never see. A difficult home. A sick parent. Work before dawn. Responsibility beyond their years. And still — they show up. They open their books. They keep going. This award says: we saw you. Not just what you achieved — but what it cost you to achieve it.
Vietnamese culture has always held deep respect for teachers. The teacher is the foundation upon which every other achievement rests. This award exists to honor dedication that goes beyond the classroom — selected entirely by school administration, with no vote, no ranking, no competition. Two teachers honored equally. Any teacher at any grade level is eligible.
All selection decisions rest entirely with Trần Quốc Tuấn High School. The Foundation provides guiding intent — not binding criteria. All awards are teacher-nominated. The Foundation will never override a selection made by this school. The school's faculty knowledge is the only foundation of this recognition.
Each program year follows a predictable, well-defined cycle — designed to give the school certainty, time to prepare, and a clear framework for every step.
Pham Foundation wires $5,000 to the school's official institutional bank account. The school enters the year with resources in hand and the freedom to plan with confidence.
The scholarship coordinator announces the Pham Foundation Scholarship to the entire student body. No recipients are named. Every student is invited to strive — for excellence, for growth, for the recognition that awaits in May.
The full academic year unfolds. Teachers observe, guide, and take note. Perseverance Scholar nominees are identified by their teachers. The school determines its own selection process.
All recipients are announced and honored publicly before the full school community. Grade 12 Pham Foundation Scholars receive their awards before the June national exam — the school's final word about who they are.
The school submits the completed Annual Report (DOC-03) to the Foundation by June 30 — required by U.S. IRS Section 4945. Includes recipient roster, financial summary, and compliance confirmation.
The Pham Foundation commits $25,000 over five academic years — $5,000 per year — beginning with the 2026–2027 school year. Annual payments are made via international wire transfer on or before August 15. Each annual transfer constitutes a separate grant, renewed at the Foundation's discretion.
"The principles that guide this program — trust in the institution, recognition of multiple forms of excellence, dignity for every recipient, and deep respect for the teaching profession — will carry forward into every program that follows."— Pham Foundation · Quảng Ngãi Scholarship Program
The Pham Foundation Scholarship — Quảng Ngãi is the first of what we intend to be many scholarship programs. The standard set at Trần Quốc Tuấn High School will be the foundation on which future Pham Foundation scholarships are built.
We place our full trust in Trần Quốc Tuấn High School to carry this forward with the same care and integrity with which it has always served its students.
The full program document set — grant agreement, award criteria, annual report form, banking authorization, and the Perseverance Scholar essay form — is available on the program documents page. The giving year calendar and school contact information are also listed there.
This program began as a personal act — Phạm Huệ, a literature teacher at Trần Quốc Tuấn, quietly sending scholarships home from America for years. The Pham Foundation Scholarship continues that spirit. Behind it is a permanent endowment, funded by our family, so that the recognition his school deserves is never at risk of stopping.