The poor student from Tan Ky scored 30 points on the university entrance exam for Group C subjects.

(Baonghean.vn) - The poor cowherd girl from Tan Ky has now taken another step closer to her dream of studying Japanese at Hanoi National University and, even further, becoming an ambassador.

In the 2017 national high school graduation exam, Phan Thi Minh – a pretty, intelligent girl with a petite figure (a student in class 12 C6, Tan Ky High School) – earned the admiration of many by achieving a score of 30 points (including regional bonus points) in the humanities/social sciences (Block C).

The dilapidated house of Phan Thi Minh's family in Hamlet 12, Nghia Hanh Commune, Tan Ky District, was bustling with neighbors coming to congratulate the poor student. It is known that her individual scores were 9.0 in Literature; 9.75 in History; and 9.75 in Geography. Her total score was 28.5, placing her among the highest-scoring students in Nghe An province.

Phan Thi Minh overcame difficult circumstances to gain admission to university. Photo: Phuong Hao

Minh's mother, Mrs. Le Thi Thanh, a small, frail woman with a weathered face, shared with a toothless smile: "On the day of the exam, Minh said he did well, but I didn't expect his score to be so high. For years, my husband and I have been working in the fields, and we couldn't even afford a decent bicycle for him. Most of the expenses were covered by teachers, relatives, and benefactors. There were times when he considered dropping out of school because we were too poor, and working to earn money, but the teachers kept encouraging him, and in the end, his efforts were rewarded."

For 12 consecutive years, Minh was an excellent student. In 9th and 11th grade, she won second prize in the provincial history competition – her favorite subject. She said that Ms. Kim Dung, her history teacher, is her inspiration and motivation. To her, Ms. Dung is like a second mother who has encouraged her greatly in her studies and life.

Outside of school hours, Minh herds cattle, does housework, and takes care of his younger siblings in place of his parents. Photo: PH

Regarding the secret to achieving high results in the recent National High School Graduation Exam, Minh said: “For subjects like Literature, History, and Geography in the humanities group, diligence and hard work alone are not enough to absorb the enormous amount of knowledge from textbooks. My method is to create mind maps, trying to connect the information, and encoding it into the birth dates of friends, family, and relatives to make it easier to remember.”

Besides studying, Minh also helps her parents with farm work. Her parents work as hired laborers all day until late at night, and Minh takes care of all the household chores, from tending the cows, cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, to looking after and helping her younger sister with her homework. At school, in addition to her studies, Minh enthusiastically participates in extracurricular activities. She is honored to be one of the 10 students from her school who participated in the Party membership training course.

Minh's first choice is the Japanese Department at Hanoi National University. Her dream is to become an ambassador in the future. For now, Minh hopes to live in the student dormitory and receive a scholarship to ease the financial burden on her parents. She also plans to find a part-time job to cover her tuition and living expenses away from home.

The dream of this poor student is to become an ambassador, and to achieve that dream, she aims to study Japanese at the Vietnam National University, Hanoi. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

Ms. Tran Viet Anh, the homeroom teacher and Geography teacher of class 12C6, shared proudly about Minh: “Despite her difficult family circumstances, she is very determined. Her house is far from school, so every day she cycles tens of kilometers to school on her old bicycle. Minh has excelled in all subjects since grade 10, and she is also very studious and humble.”

Given her current circumstances, Minh will likely face many difficulties and hardships ahead. Let's all wish this poor but determined student good luck and the fulfillment of her dreams.

Phuong Hao