Meeting a poor Thai ethnic male student in Nghe An who was admitted to the Political Officer School

On a weekend morning, by chance, through a conversation with Ms. Vi Thi Xoan, Secretary of the Youth Union of Yen Thang Commune, Tuong Duong District, I learned that in an inner commune of the district, there was a poor Thai ethnic student who had passed the entrance exam to the Military Political Officer School, a school with very high entrance scores every year.

That same afternoon, from the center of Tuong Duong district, I followed National Highway 7 to Khe Bo village, Tam Quang commune, then went up National Highway 48C to find Dat's house in Pung village, Yen Thang commune.

At the beginning of the village, I met a middle-aged man and asked for directions to Dat's house. This man, with a proud face, enthusiastically showed the way and said: "In this village, everyone knows Dat. He is poor, but he is good and diligent in studying since he was young. Now he has passed the entrance exam to a famous school outside the capital Hanoi. Everyone in the village is very happy and proud."

The old, shabby house is located next to Highway 48C, facing Khe Bo Hydropower Reservoir. Entering the gate made of bamboo, the first image is Kha Tien Dat, dripping with sweat, dismantling, cleaning, and arranging the kitchen wall panels that had just collapsed due to the storm.

Seeing that there were guests, Tien Dat stopped to chat and warmly invited us into the house. After asking us politely and cheerfully, when talking about his family situation, Dat suddenly stopped for a moment, the corners of his eyes were filled with tears...

Tien Dat said that his family had two brothers, and then he had a younger brother. His parents were self-employed and had unstable jobs. In the past, although the situation was difficult, the family gathered together every day, the house was always filled with laughter. At the beginning of his 7th grade year, his mother left his father, leaving the two brothers to go somewhere unknown. Since then, his mother has never returned and has never called to ask about him. At that time, partly because he loved his father and partly because he missed his mother, Dat's studies declined. He even thought of dropping out of school. Knowing his situation, his teachers and friends often encouraged, comforted and helped him. From then on, they gave him the strength to overcome and try to study well.

From grade 1 to grade 5, Dat was an excellent student. Entering junior high school, due to a major family incident, his studies declined somewhat, but Dat was still an excellent student. At the end of his senior year, he passed the entrance exam to the Provincial Boarding Ethnic High School - a school that many of his peers dream of. During his 3 years at the Provincial Boarding Ethnic High School, thanks to the care and help of teachers and friends and his own constant efforts, Dat was an excellent student for all 3 years. Notably, in the 2024 High School Graduation Exam, he excelled with 28.25 points (excluding priority points), including 9 in Literature, 9.75 in History, and 9.5 in Geography. With this score, Kha Tien Dat was admitted to the Military Political Officer School, Party Building and State Administration.

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After finishing my graduation exam, I went to Bac Ninh to apply for a job at a company. Although the job was hard, in return I had an income to support myself and help my father. During my work, I often listened and looked up my exam scores. When I knew I had been admitted to the Political Officer School, Party Building and State Administration, I was very happy. After knowing the results, I asked the company owner for leave to go home and prepare the necessary admission procedures. The reason I chose my first choice, which was a military school, was because my family's circumstances were too difficult. Going to a military school would reduce the burden of tuition fees and the military environment would help me become tougher and stronger.

Kha Tien Dat in Pung, Yen Thang commune (Tuong Duong)

Mr. Kha Van Phuc, Dat's grandfather, shared: "I feel sorry for the boy, his mother left when he was just entering secondary school. Dat often went to school far away from home, every time I had a chance to visit home, I often reminded him to try to study well, only by studying well can he escape poverty. Only then can he become a progressive person. Knowing his situation, Dat was very obedient and diligent in studying. I was very happy and proud of him when he passed the entrance exam to the military school. This is a worthy reward for my grandson's years of efforts to overcome difficulties and study well"./.