Proud of our land of learning

(Baonghean) - This is not the first year that Nghe An, a land of learning, has received good news about the outstanding academic achievements of its students, but this year seems to be a milestone of "bumper harvest" as Nghe An students have consecutively won the top entrance exam scores at many prestigious universities.

Phan Thế Lê Sơn.

For several days now, good news has been pouring in throughout Nghe An province. A joyful phone call from Phan The Le Son (1996), a young man from Nam Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district), announcing his top entrance exam score of 29.5 at Hanoi University of Pharmacy, brought immense happiness to those who knew and loved him. From Vinh City, we traveled to Hamlet 9, Nam Thanh commune, to the warm home of this slender student, and quickly caught the vibrant joy of this village rich in a tradition of academic excellence. We were greeted at the gate by neighbors of Son's family, all eager to share information about the "bright student" of the hamlet. Like his peers, Phan The Le Son's childhood was intertwined with rice paddies, buffaloes, and countless mischievous antics, but what stood out most about him was his studiousness and unwavering determination to achieve his goals.

Choosing to take the entrance exam for Hanoi University of Pharmacy – a school that has consistently ranked among the top-scoring universities nationwide for many years – Phan Thế Lê Sơn believes it wasn't a reckless decision at all. He has loved this field of study since childhood and has been aiming for it for a long time. Not attending a specialized school or selective class, Sơn spent all 12 years in ordinary schools in his village and district. Outside of school hours and activities, his study schedule was always tied to his small study corner at home. “I didn't attend extra classes because everyone here does the same; learning conditions in the countryside are more limited than in the city. The only thing that sets me apart from my peers is that I like collecting past exam papers to practice solving them. Perhaps that's why my experience with different question types and concise, comprehensive solutions helped me achieve high scores,” Phan Thế Lê Sơn humbly shared. Throughout his studies, this gentle and kind student consistently maintained a stable academic performance thanks to his solid and thorough study methods, and partly due to his calm and mature personality beyond his years. Before the 2014 university and college entrance exams, although quite confident in his academic abilities, Son and his family were still anxious and worried. His mother, Tran Thi Minh – a hardworking and loving woman – despite her busy government job, always made time to be with her son, encouraging him, talking to him, and taking care of him in even the smallest things. With a radiant face at her youngest son's impressive achievement, Ms. Minh confided: “Son received the news from a classmate that he passed with a high score of 28.25, plus regional bonus points and rounding, making it 29.5 points. We're so happy that he passed; with such a high score, how can we express our joy? But even after the joy, we still have to advise him not to be complacent, but to strive even harder because there are many people in society who are more talented than him.”

While the rice-growing region of Yen Thanh is beaming with pride over Phan The Le Son, the valedictorian of Hanoi University of Pharmacy, not far away, the tea-growing region of Ngoc Lam (Thanh Thuy, Thanh Chuong) received even more joyful news: Nguyen Dinh Thanh, a student who overcame hardship to excel academically, became the valedictorian of Block B, Military System, at the Northern Military Medical Academy. His scores were near-perfect: 9 points in Mathematics, 9.5 points in Chemistry, and 10 points in Biology, totaling 28.5 points. For Nguyen Dinh Thanh, this achievement is the fruit of his perseverance, overcoming difficult circumstances to reach his dream of higher education. Unlike its beautiful name suggests, Ngoc Lam is a poor rural area, and Thanh's family is one of many who still work hard every day to make ends meet. His father, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hoan, and his mother, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Toan, did not have the resources or time to be by his side during his studies. Despite the circumstances, the old living room of the family always shone with the light of learning thanks to the certificates of merit earned by their son, Nguyen Dinh Thanh.

Thanh's day begins very early with cleaning the house, taking care of the family's pigs and chickens, and picking tea leaves, weeding, or fertilizing the tea hills to help his parents. "There's nothing to be ashamed of; housework is a shared responsibility. If I keep relying on studying, I feel sorry for my parents who work until late at night without finishing. I achieved high results, but actually, I don't have any secrets; I've maintained this study habit since I was little," Thanh shared. It's known that this isn't the first time Nguyen Dinh Thanh has achieved the title of top-scoring student in the entrance exam. In the entrance exam for Dang Thuc Hua High School many years ago, Thanh was also honored as the top student. Recalling this achievement, Thanh jokingly said: "Getting high scores is great, but thinking back, it's also... terrifying! Because it's 15km from home to school, I cycle there in the morning, sometimes I stay until noon, and only then do I have the strength to cycle back home in the afternoon." Out of love for her hardworking parents, when filling out her university application, she didn't hesitate to choose two schools: the Military Medical Academy and the Police Academy, because she thought that if she passed, attending university wouldn't be a burden on her family.

Having closely followed Nguyen Dinh Thanh throughout his high school years, Mr. Pham Kim Chung - homeroom teacher of class 12C1, Dang Thuc Hua High School, said: “Nguyen Dinh Thanh is a diligent and excellent student for many years. To his teachers and friends, Thanh is also a warm, friendly, and admirable person because of his resilience in overcoming difficulties. Receiving Thanh's top-scoring result, not only I but also the other teachers in the school are very happy. He has truly brought honor to Dang Thuc Hua High School in particular and the educational landscape of Nghe An in general!”

Teacher Pham Kim Chung's proud sentiments reflect the thoughts of many people in Nghe An province at this time. In recent days, the media and social networks have been flooded with information about top-scoring university students from Nghe An. Phan The Le Son, Nguyen Dinh Thanh, Dang Thi Thao Trang (top scorer in the D1 group at Hanoi Foreign Trade University with a total score of 26.5), Pham Duc Toan (top scorer at Hanoi Foreign Trade University with a rounded total score of 29.5)... and this list may continue to grow. These students come from diverse backgrounds and circumstances, but ultimately, they all embody the studious spirit of Nghe An, a province rich in tradition...

Phuong Chi