On July 24, 2012, Nguoi Lao Dong published a Vietnamese article titled “Thủ khoa con nhà nghèo” (“A valedictorian from a poor family”). It was one of the first articles written about me after the 2012 university entrance exam.
The article told the story of how I became the valedictorian of the Medicine program at the School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, with a total score of 28. What stays with me now is not only the score, but the circumstances around it: my family’s financial difficulties, my grandmother’s illness, and the moment when I considered not taking the second exam in order to save money for my family.
Years later, I see this article as a clear reminder of my family’s support. Without my parents’ encouragement, and without the trust of my teachers and hometown, I may not have had the confidence to keep moving through those early turning points.
The original article is in Vietnamese and can be read on Nguoi Lao Dong:
Source: Nguoi Lao Dong, written by Thuy Phuong, published on July 24, 2012.