Orphaned female student becomes valedictorian of Yen Thanh 'rice hometown'
Her father passed away when she was still in her mother's womb. When she was in 7th grade, her mother "remarried". But overcoming adversity, Dang Thi Thuong - class 12D1, Phan Thuc Truc High School (Yen Thanh) was an excellent student for 12 consecutive years with the highest high school graduation exam score in the district (56.8 points).
Dang Thi Thuong impresses everyone she meets with her innocent and intelligent face. Thuong is the youngest daughter in a family of two sisters in the rice-growing countryside of Vien Thanh (Yen Thanh). Few people know that Thuong and her sister had a disadvantaged childhood without their father's love. While still in their mother's womb, their father unfortunately passed away, so Thuong was never called father.
To be able to raise 2 children to study, Thuong's mother had to leave her 2 daughters to the grandparents to take care of and then go abroad to earn money to support her life. When Thuong was in 7th grade, her mother "remarried" leaving her 2 orphaned daughters with her grandparents. Living without the love of a father, now without a mother by her side, at first Thuong and her sisters felt very disappointed. "But when I grew up, I also understood why my mother had to do that, so I also blessed my mother to have the support of her life," Thuong said.
After their mother remarried, Thuong and her sister lived under the protection and care of their grandparents. Every month, their mother still sent money to support their education. Because their grandparents were old and weak, outside of class time, Thuong and her sister often took the time to help them with housework.
At the end of grade 9, Thuong's grandfather passed away. After finishing grade 12, Thuong's older sister also went to Taiwan to study and work to take care of herself. Because her grandmother was old and weak (now 79 years old), Thuong's uncle took her in to take care of her. In recent years, Thuong's mother unfortunately suffered from kidney failure and could no longer provide for her own daughter. Feeling sorry for her sick sister and orphaned grandchild, her aunt took Thuong in to raise her and continue to send her to school.
Not disappointing her family's expectations, for 12 consecutive years, Dang Thi Thuong has always achieved the title of excellent student. Thuong personally won the Encouragement Prize in Math for grade 9 and the Second Prize in the Provincial Excellent Student in Geography for grade 12. Thuong confided: "I do not consider studying to get into university important. For me, the personal motivation for me to study well is to see my mother's smile and happiness," Thuong confided.
In the high school graduation exam, Dang Thi Thuong excellently achieved 56.8 points (Math: 8.80, English 9.00, Literature 9.50, History 9.75, Geography 10, Civic Education 9.75), the candidate with the highest score in Yen Thanh district and in the top 5 of the province according to the Social Sciences group.
When she learned the exam results, Thuong said that she was not really satisfied with some subjects such as Math, where she had two wrong answers to easy questions. Sharing her study secrets, Thuong said: “I study little, rest when I am tired, do not put pressure on myself, but when I study, I study seriously. I often make my own study schedule and plan. To gain more knowledge and when facing difficult lessons, I do not hesitate to ask teachers and friends.”
Currently, while waiting for admission, Thuong helps her aunt’s family sell goods every day. When she learned her exam results, Thuong said she would choose Logistics at Hanoi University of Industry to study. “Everyone said I could have chosen a better university, but I still chose Hanoi University of Industry. I feel that I can study at any school as long as I try my best to achieve the best results,” Dang Thi Thuong shared.
Talking about her student, Ms. Phan Thi Thu Ha - homeroom teacher of class 12D1, Phan Thuc Truc High School said: Thuong is a very determined student, with intelligent qualities. During 3 years of high school, Thuong has always been at the top of the class in terms of academic achievements. Knowing her situation, the school always creates conditions by having scholarships to support students to overcome difficulties. The high school graduation exam results at the top of the district are proof of her tireless efforts in the learning process.
“Currently, Thuong is applying for the Vietseed scholarship, which is a scholarship that provides financial support to new students who have just been admitted to university but lack the financial means to pursue their studies. I hope that she will receive this scholarship to pursue her dream in the university,” Ms. Phan Thi Thu Ha added.