Female student from disadvantaged area achieves top score in provincial Geography competition for gifted students.

The small, simple house located in the middle of Hamlet 4, Long Son Commune, has been bustling with people coming to congratulate Truong Thi Huong's family these days.

Speaking with us, Ms. Tran Thi Ha - Huong's mother - shared: Huong was born into a family with two siblings, and the family's circumstances were difficult, so for the past five years, both she and her husband have joined a group of construction workers from their village in Hue city. Huong stayed at home living with her maternal aunt.

Recently, Huong entered the period of preparing for the provincial gifted student competition, so Ms. Ha took time off work to take care of her. Out of love for her parents, Huong is very considerate, diligent, and hardworking, helping them with everything. Regarding her studies, Huong has mainly studied on her own since she was little because her parents work far from home. A few days ago, when they learned that she was one of the high-achieving students in the provincial gifted student competition, the family was very proud.

Having not achieved outstanding academic results throughout her primary and secondary school years, when preparing for the 10th grade entrance exam, Truong Thi Huong decided that with effort and determination, she could study well in any environment. Therefore, instead of applying to high schools in the area, she submitted her application to the District's Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center.

In the early days of studying at the District Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center, thinking about my parents toiling under the sun as construction workers, or the video calls from afar where they called with sun-tanned, sweat-drenched faces to earn money for my education, I told myself I had to try my best. At that time, I set myself the goal of trying my hardest and studying even harder.

Sharing about her learning process, Huong said: "Starting in 10th grade, I looked for a subject I excelled at and chose Geography because I found it to be a relevant, practical, and engaging subject that helped me explore life and nature. The more I studied, the more passionate I became."

Huong further shared that, for Geography, her learning method prioritizes thoroughly understanding the textbook, as the knowledge from the textbook is the basic foundation. Besides carefully studying the basic concepts and mastering data processing methods, Huong also regularly watches news on mass media to update herself on current events and social issues, which she incorporates into her practice exercises. In addition, she spends a lot of time practicing exam questions and carefully studying how to use the Geography Atlas.

Huong said that during her participation in the gifted student training program, she made the most of her time and developed a reasonable and effective study method. During this time, she and her teacher studied intensely. Besides school and tutoring, in the evenings, rain or shine, she would go to her teacher's house to study from 7 PM to 10 PM and practice many different types of exam questions. She also frequently went online to download materials and collect additional exercises from various sources to find her own solution methods.

With a sound study method and diligent effort, Truong Thi Huong achieved the top score in Geography for the Continuing Education category in this year's provincial-level 12th-grade student excellence competition with a score of 14.25. For a student studying at a Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center in a mountainous district, living far from her parents, this achievement is truly commendable.

"I feel so happy because I never expected to be able to do this. I'm glad I brought home this achievement and become a source of pride for the Center. This is just a temporary result; I know I still have a long way to go," Huong said emotionally.

Ms. Tran Thi Huong, the homeroom teacher and geography tutor for Truong Thi Huong, said: “Her academic achievements in 10th grade weren't outstanding, but when I discovered she was a student with a strong sense of learning, proactively acquiring knowledge, and a thirst for knowledge, I included her in the geography gifted student team in 11th grade. She passed the school-level gifted student competition and then became a source for the provincial-level gifted student competition in 12th grade. Throughout her studies and exam preparation, Huong always tried her best and diligently sought out information. When I learned her exam results, as her direct teacher and mentor, I was overwhelmed with happiness. The results she achieved are proof of her promise and effort, the culmination of all the hard work of both teacher and student, and a great source of encouragement for us teachers, further fueling our passion and enthusiasm for the profession.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Deputy Director of the Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center of Anh Son District, shared: "In this year's provincial-level excellent student competition, the Center had 5 students participating. The results included one first prize in Geography, one third prize in Mathematics, and one consolation prize in Chemistry. This is a source of pride and motivation for the students to continue striving and working harder in the future."