The special thing about the Nghe An boy who won the Silver Medal at the International Math Olympiad

"Ask" mom to learn math

At home, Vu Duc Vinh is the youngest of three siblings, so naturally, he is the most attached to his mother. However, Vinh is a rather independent boy, especially since his parents are very considerate and "always let Vinh choose according to his interests and passions".

Vu Duc Vinh during the days of attending the Exam in the UK. Photo: NVCC

Vinh's mother, Nguyen Thi Tram, is a Math and Physics teacher at Nguyen Trai Secondary School - Tan Ky, so she soon discovered Vinh's special ability in Math.

"When I was in primary school, I was curious, learned and had an inclination towards natural sciences. I remember when I was in second grade, my mother bought me a plastic dragon, and I changed it myself so that it could move forward and backward. As I grew older, my passion for math grew, I often asked my mother difficult and tricky math problems and was very excited when I solved a good math problem," Ms. Tram confided.

Math is also a family tradition because Vinh's older sister was also a student majoring in Math at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted. In 9th grade, because her mother taught Physics and wanted Vinh to quit Math to switch to Physics to prepare for exams more easily and reduce pressure. However, Vinh "asked" his mother: Mom, let me study Physics, but don't make me quit Math. After that, the boy did not disappoint his parents when he won second prize in the Provincial Math Competition for Excellent Students and ranked 4th when taking the entrance exam for the Math class at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted.

Students of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted share joy with teachers and students on their return day. Photo: My Ha

Recalling the time when her “youngest son” went to school far from home, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tram said she “felt sorry for him” because he was young and had to live alone in a rented house, study and take care of himself. On the days when Vinh first went to school, on weekends, Ms. Tram traveled nearly 100 kilometers from Tan Ky to Vinh to take care of her son.

Later, Vinh got used to it and did not come down as often, but she always felt sorry for her son because he was so eager to study. After less than a year of studying, Vinh won a Gold Medal at the Hanoi Open Mathematics Competition.

Talking about Vinh, teacher Nguyen Thanh Binh - a Math teacher at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted recalled: The extended Math exam was a Math exam in English. However, when he was called to the team, Vinh was the weakest student in foreign languages. Knowing his limitations, Vinh studied very hard, if he did not understand, he would ask her right away. Vinh was also a very careful student, every word she taught, every word she wrote, Vinh took notes meticulously, like a "model" notebook. Later, this factor helped Vinh succeed and win high prizes, even though there might be many better students in the team.

Teachers and students of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted at the award ceremony. Photo: NVCC

Hard work, diligence, and a desire to learn are also important factors for Vinh to continue to reap many other achievements, such as the Gold Medal in the Mathematical Olympiad organized by the Institute of Mathematics. In grade 11, Vinh won second prize in Mathematics at the National Excellent Student Competition. Thanks to this achievement, Vinh was selected to the second round and entered the national team to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad in the UK, even though this was the first time Vinh participated in the competition and was the youngest student in the team.

Nghe An welcomes students who won Silver Medals at the International Math Olympiad

(Baonghean.vn) - The owner of the Silver Medal was a student of Tan Ky district and was also the first 11th grade student of Nghe An to participate in the International Mathematics Olympiad.

The journey of the "youngest brother"

In fact, the process of conquering the competitions to enter the list of 6 final students of the Vietnamese team was not easy. As the homeroom teacher and closely following Vinh for two years of study, teacher Ho Sy Hung said: There are many factors that made me quickly choose Vinh as the number 1 student in the team even though his starting point was quite normal compared to the general level. That is, Vinh is very intelligent, has a strong will and asserts very clearly through his assignments and tests. Moreover, Vinh is a very obedient student, "complying" very well with the requirements set by the teacher.

Student Vu Duc Vinh with teacher Ho Sy Hung and classmates. Photo: My Ha

Another memorable memory of the teacher and student was before the second round of the exam. At that time, in front of 49 other excellent candidates, including students who had won prizes at the International Olympiad in previous years, Vinh was quite worried. After that, the two teachers and students also had a conversation and Vinh always remembered what Mr. Hung said: Many provinces and cities have 11th grade students taking the Math exam, why can't we do it? And this saying was the motivation for Vinh to try hard to pass the exam and was the member with the 5th highest score out of nearly 50 candidates taking the exam.

With this mindset, coming to the International Mathematical Olympiad in the UK, the two teachers and students from Nghe An were quite confident. Talking about this, Vinh said: This is the first time I have participated in a big competition like the International Mathematical Olympiad, I feel quite nervous but not too worried. Because I am the youngest in the Vietnamese delegation, I have received support from teachers and seniors in the delegation, sharing a lot of experiences. Therefore, entering the competition, I kept myself in a very comfortable state of mind.

The joy of Vu Duc Vinh and his family. Photo: My Ha

Looking back at the competition, although there are still regrets, teachers and students of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted can be satisfied with the achievements they have achieved. More importantly, after this competition, Vu Duc Vinh has equipped himself with a lot of experience and "practiced" his courage and mentality for the exams of the next school year.

The 11th grade student also shared that this year's International Math Olympiad had more than 100 countries and territories participating, with more than 600 students. Although each country and each contestant had their own characteristics, everyone participating felt happy, open, and pressure-free. This is also the most important thing in every competition, and Vinh sees it as an interesting playground for the next school year to continue to strive, try hard, and hope to return one day.

My Ha