Student O Du "dropped out" of university to go to vocational school and was praised nationwide.

"Refused" to go to college

After many appointments, we finally met Lo Van Anh because he kept having trouble with his school schedule.

Meeting us, a first-year student of Viet Duc Technical Vocational College said: "I used to study block C, focusing on social subjects. But now I have switched to vocational studies, mainly on technology, so I have to try much harder than my friends."

Lo Van Anh and his teacher at the National Ethnic Minority Students Commendation Ceremony. Photo: NVCC

During 12 years of high school, Anh also considered himself a hard-working person. Perhaps that was why, when he was young, when his parents and many other families moved from the Long Ho area to the Vang Mon resettlement area (Nga My commune, Tuong Duong), Anh followed his grandmother to the Thanh Son resettlement area (Thanh Chuong) to go to school.

After graduating from junior high school, Anh was one of the few students in the commune to pass the entrance exam to Ethnic Minority Boarding School No. 1 - the province's leading school for ethnic minority students.

During his three years at boarding school, Anh's life changed a lot. From living with his family, Anh got used to collective life, studying and living under the supervision of teachers every day. However, thanks to that, Anh was trained a lot and had a good sense of discipline.

The new learning environment with many excellent students, selected from mountainous districts, also forces students to be diligent and dedicated. After three years of high school, Anh excellently achieved 22 points in block C (not including priority points) in the 2017-2018 National High School Exam. With this achievement, Anh was one of two representatives of Nghe An honored to be selected to attend the 2018 ceremony to honor ethnic minority students.

That score was enough for Anh to enroll in a prestigious university. However, after careful consideration, instead of deciding to go to university, Anh switched to vocational training.

Talking about this decision, Anh said: Ever since I was in school, I have dreamed of going to a military school. But later, because I was not tall enough, I was forced to choose another career. I personally think that going to university is very good. But, I also want to learn a trade because I can work early and have the conditions to support my parents.

The more Ede you are, the more you have to try.

At Viet Duc Technical Vocational College, the number of students who "refuse" to go to university to study a trade is not too many, especially if they are ethnic minority students. I personally consider this normal and I do not allow myself to be subjective, even though it is just a trade.

Talking about you, teacherDinh Thi Minh Hanh - Head teacher of class K4 - Automotive Technology said: Lo Van Anh is a gentle, quiet student but very eager to learn. Especially, because he knows his limitations in technical subjects, Anh always tries harder than his friends. If he doesn't understand, he asks the teachers very carefully.

Lo Van Anh on his trip to Hanoi to attend the commendation ceremony. Photo: NVCC

Since learning the trade, Anh also had to start an independent life. He was a poor and studious student, so whenever he had the opportunity to intern at a business, he was introduced by his teachers and given priority to earn more salary to cover his living expenses. Few people know that when Anh was selected to attend the commendation ceremony, the head of the department personally paid for the ticket and accompanied him to Hanoi to attend the ceremony.

Talking about this trip, Anh also honestly said: Each student who is honored will be given a notebook, a pen and 4 million VND. However, I sent all of it to my mother because I wanted to help my family at home.

The trip to Hanoi and being the only student representing the O Du ethnic group left him with many thoughts and concerns. He was happy because this was the first time an O Du student had been recognized and given priority. However, he also admitted that compared to the achievements of many other students, his achievements were still very small.

Lo Van Anh is a hard-working student in the Faculty of Automotive Technology. Photo: SH

Another memorable memory was that after the live broadcast on TV, many people in the village called to congratulate him. The family and the village were also very proud because it had been a long time since the children of O Du had participated in a big program and been recognized and honored.

Talking about himself, Anh also said: "I am an O Du ethnic group, an ethnic group with only over 400 people left and compared to other ethnic groups, I am still very inferior. That is why, even though I do not live with my old villagers, I am always aware that I am an O Du ethnic group and try to live so as not to let everyone down and always strive to become a useful person in the future."

Anh’s efforts and ability to overcome difficulties are typical of the youth of the O Du people today. And, Anh’s story, though simple, still has the power to inspire many people, especially students from ethnic minorities, remote areas, and areas facing many difficulties in Nghe An.

The ceremony to honor outstanding and typical ethnic minority students is an annual event organized by the Ethnic Committee in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

Through the program, we aim to honor the tradition of studiousness of the Vietnamese people, and at the same time commend and encourage the spirit of striving, overcoming all difficulties and challenges, and achieving excellent academic achievements of ethnic minority students.

The 2018 Commendation Ceremony held at the end of November in Hanoi honored 166 outstanding faces from 25 ethnic groups in 30 provinces and cities. Of these, 94 students won Second, Third and Encouragement prizes in the National Excellent Student Competition; 17 students won Second, Third and Encouragement prizes in the National Science and Technology Competition and 02 students achieved outstanding results in the National High School Exam for university admission; 42 students graduated from universities, academies and colleges with excellent results.