Nghe An boy who loves wildlife wins scholarship from Hungarian Government

(Baonghean.vn) - The love for wild animals was the motivation for Nghe An student Nguyen Son Tra (1998) to win a full scholarship Stipendium Hungaricum from the Hungarian Government. With this scholarship, he willStudy a major that is quite new in Vietnam - Wildlife Management and Conservation.

Nguyen Son Tra in the rhino protection propaganda campaign. Photo: NVCC

For more than a month now, Son Tra's parents have not yet recovered from the feeling of joy and surprise when they learned that their son was one of 10 excellent students nationwide to receive a full scholarship from the Hungarian Government, Stipendium Hungaricum. Because in the circumstances of his parents' working family, Son Tra's dream of studying abroad was almost a distant dream.

Sharing about her journey to find a scholarship to study abroad, Son Tra confided that her determination to find a scholarship to study abroad partly stemmed from her desire to contribute to protecting wildlife.

Since he was a child, Tra has been fascinated by watching programs about animals and animal conservation on TV. From here, the boy began to have the idea of ​​doing something to protect Vietnam's wildlife.

Promoting wildlife protection actions to the people is the favorite job of the young student from Son Tra. Photo: NVCC

The opportunity for Tra to start gradually getting closer to her dream was in the second semester of grade 10, at that time Tra was a student in the Physics specialized class at Vinh University High School for the Gifted.

After hearing the volunteers of the ENV Nghe An Wildlife Protection Club promote animal protection, Tra applied and became the youngest member to join the activities with them. The more she participated in campaigns to call for and promote changes in people's awareness of wildlife, the more passionate and determined she became to follow the path of becoming a nature conservationist.

However, after carefully researching information about universities in Vietnam, Tra could not find a major that trains in this field. Therefore, Tra decided to enroll in Biology at the University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Hanoi because it is related to conservation biology.

When they learned about Tra's choice, many people thought it was just a pipe dream, and that studying this major would make it difficult to find a job later. "My parents were not very supportive and worried about my decision, but I still convinced them to believe in my choice," Tra shared.

It was also during her high school years that Tra began to dream of studying abroad after attending many inspirational seminars. Tra herself knew that studying abroad was the door that would help her get closer to her dream, especially when in Vietnam there was no training program in Wildlife Management and Conservation. Knowing her intention, Tra's parents were also straightforward: "The family's circumstances do not allow you to study abroad, so you have to think carefully."

Not giving up on her dream, when entering university, Tra started looking for scholarships from foreign governments in the field of Wildlife Management and Conservation while also fulfilling her role as the head of the ENV Hanoi Wildlife Protection Club. To hunt for scholarships, English is still one of the decisive factors. Because of the lack of conditions, Tra practiced her English skills online. The opportunity also came to Tra when she heard that the Hungarian Government offered 10 scholarships to Vietnamese students.

Tra shares with students her experience in finding scholarships. Photo: Chu Thanh

Tra still remembers in the letter sent to the council, she said she wanted to study Wildlife Management and Conservation because this was her childhood dream and she herself had changed the awareness of people around her about the issue of wildlife protection. "Perhaps, because I only put 1 wish in 1 school even though each candidate has the right to register 3 wishes in the scholarship application, I impressed the Organizing Committee", Tra shared. It is known that Tra is one of the few candidates who were directly considered for the scholarship application without going through the interview round.

This September, Tra will go to study at Szent Istvan University in Godollo.,Hungary to continue writing her dream. For Tra, the secret to her success is thanks to the thought "Don't just think, start planning for yourself and do it today. Because opportunities are not for those who come late".

And the Stipendium Hungaricum full scholarship of the Hungarian Government is the most eloquent proof of the efforts of this boy who is not yet 20 years old.

Chu Thanh