Bolormaa Hajidsuren,a native of Mongolia, was a student at National College from 2002 through 2005, earning her associate degree in Medical Assisting, all while caring for her two children who were in Roanoke County Schools perfecting their English. Hajidsuren watched her husband Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj (referred to in the Mongolian press as “the George Washington of Mongolia”) served as first Prime Minister of Mongolia following that country’s independence after the breakup of the old USSR.
The Harvard-educated Elbegdorj was declared the winner last month and gave his victory address to a huge throng of supporters in the capital of Ulan Bator. In his speech Elbegdorj, who ran on a platform that emphasized economic improvements in a nation rich in mineral wealth but where many citizens still live in poverty, told his audience the election results were as much a victory for the rights and freedoms of Mongolia as it was for him and the Democratic Party.
“It is a win for the entire country,” he said.
Ron Smith, National College Director of Admissions and International Programs, met Elbegdorj when he visited the campus in 2002.
“He was very pleasant, very bright,” Smith said, “He wanted to help his wife pursue her education here in the United States as he had done earlier. Bolormaa was one of our best students, really dedicated and talented.”
