The determination of a poor student who suffered the pain of being an orphan when the exam day was near

In the middle of August, the sun was scorching hot, but Nguyen Van Manh in Khe Huong village, Van Son commune, Do Luong district still had to go to the fields to cut grass to feed the cows. Since his mother passed away, his father was busy working for a carpentry shop. Manh replaced his father to work hard all day, from farming, gardening, laundry, cooking, teaching his younger siblings...

Every morning when he wakes up, before going to work, Manh goes to his mother's altar, looks at her picture, lights some incense for her, hopes that she will be liberated in the afterlife, hopes that she will bless and protect Manh's father and siblings to be safe.

Nguyen Van Manh achieved the highest score in block A1 of Do Luong 1 High School. Photo: Phuong Lien

Manh said: “After 3 days of my mother’s death, my father and grandmother encouraged me to study. The first day I couldn’t study, I kept thinking about my mother. During those days, I only reviewed my knowledge and couldn’t do any new lessons. Then I regained my balance, tried to keep my spirit, and focused all my efforts on studying, with the purpose of not letting down my parents, especially my mother, because she had high expectations of me.”

Previously, on June 27, Manh's mother, Ms. Tang Thi My (born in 1974), after many days of hard work in the fields, sowing rice in the hot weather, was exhausted, had a headache and dizziness in the evening, and the next day she suddenly passed away at the hospital due to a cerebral hemorrhage. Ms. My's death left behind an inconsolable grief for her family, relatives, friends and neighbors.

Holding back his sadness, in the final days of the sprint to prepare for the 2021 High School Graduation Exam, Manh surpassed himself just like the name his parents gave him.

Overcoming the pain, Manh always studies hard. Photo: Phuong Lien

To prevent the Covid 19 epidemic, he could not meet with teachers and friends to discuss review content. Manh did not have a computer, he only had an old phone with an unstable screen, sometimes blurry, sometimes clear, using the neighbor's Internet as a means of communication and information sharing. Despite the hot weather and the hot Lao wind, he still diligently studied by himself. To study well, Manh read the textbooks carefully before doing exercises. He also bought a few books, took practice tests online, twice a week.

Manh replaces his father to do all the housework. Photo: Phuong Lien

The 2021 high school graduation exam is a testament to Nguyen Van Manh's determination to overcome adversity and turn dreams into motivation. With a university entrance exam score of 27.85 (Math 9; Physics 9.25; English 9.6), he won the top prize in block A1 of Do Luong 1 High School, becoming a typical example of a poor student overcoming difficulties in the 2020-2021 school year.

What he has achieved is not too surprising for Nguyen Van Manh. Throughout his studies, he has always shown diligence, hard work and creativity. Despite difficult circumstances and lack of learning conditions, he is still determined to study and practice to be worthy of the title of Excellent Student. In the Provincial Excellent Student Competition organized by the Nghe An Department of Education and Training in October 2020, he won third prize in Physics. Recognizing and praising his positive efforts, on April 3, 2021, the Party Cell of Do Luong 1 High School held a ceremony to admit Nguyen Van Manh into the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Currently, Nguyen Van Manh is preparing to become a new student majoring in Automatic Control, Hanoi University of Science and Technology. He longs to experience and grow up in a modern, dynamic learning environment to improve his family life, and at the same time contribute his efforts to his hometown and country. Before entering the lecture hall, he was still diligent and dedicated to farming work, in the morning he went to the fields to cut grass, in the afternoon he went up the hill to collect firewood and pick tea.

The path you are heading towards will certainly be full of hardships, because one of the two breadwinners of the family is no longer there. The family's financial support for your education will be very difficult.