27.5 points in block C00 and the story of overcoming difficulties of a female student of Thai ethnic group in Ha Tinh

Phan Thi Ha ( Ha Tinh Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School) is the eldest daughter in a farming family with 3 siblings, the youngest is only 4 years old. Ha's parents, Mr. Phan Van Hoi - Ms. Vi Thi Thom, work as hired helpers, carry acacia wood, go to the forest... Nearly 1 sao of rice field, 1 buffalo is the property that Mr. Hoi - Ms. Thom have to support the family and raise 3 daughters to study.

Portrait of Thai ethnic female student - Phan Thi Ha.

Understanding the hardships of her parents, since childhood, Ha has always loved to study and nurtured the dream of becoming a teacher so that she could return to teach the children where she grew up. To realize that dream, Ha determined that only studying could help her change. The remote, long distance of dozens of kilometers to get to school still could not stop the footsteps of this studious student.

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Besides studying in class, when she has free time at home, Ha helps her mother with housework and teaches her younger siblings.

From grade 6, Ha had to leave her family to study at Ha Tinh Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School - 20km from home. Ha confided: “When I first started school, I had to leave home once a week. At that time, I was still young and had to live independently, without relatives or friends, it took me a lot of time to integrate. Many nights I just cried, teachers came to my room to comfort and encourage me. Teachers are truly my second father and mother. Thanks to their care, help and dedicated teaching, I gradually got used to the new learning environment and friends. Moreover, my parents were also working hard, I also had to set an example for my two younger siblings, so I had to try even harder. From then on, I liked to participate in activities and became more and more active. After the awkward years of middle school, 3 years of high school in the dormitory, I focused on studying and participating in extracurricular activities.”

In grade 12, Ha was elected Deputy Secretary of the School Youth Union.

During her junior high and high school years, Ha studied hard, paid attention to her teachers in class, and spent time in the dormitory studying and taking notes, which made it easier to remember her knowledge. For things she did not understand, she boldly asked her teachers and friends. That spirit of learning and self-study helped Ha maintain the title of an excellent student, an active and responsible secretary of the Youth Union for 3 years in high school; and took the lead in all movement activities, from arts and sports to volunteer activities and career orientation experiences.

The school board and school delegation came to the house to share the joy of achieving high results with the excellent student.

Ha was awarded the Vallet scholarship (a scholarship sponsored by the Vietnam Rencontres du Vietnam Foundation for Science and Education and Professor Odon Vallet, for Vietnamese students and postgraduates with excellent academic and research achievements); won third prize in the “Beauty of Ethnic Minority Female Students” contest and was honored as the “3 Good Students” of the school. In grade 12, Ha was elected as Deputy Secretary of the School Youth Union.

In the 2025 high school graduation exam, Ha continued to be the pride of her teachers and friends when she achieved a graduation score of 8.36, in which she scored 27.5 points in 3 subjects of block C00 (Literature 9; History 9.25; Geography 9.25). This is a rare achievement of the school and of ethnic minority students in the whole province.

Ha's efforts throughout the long journey were rewarded when she achieved 27.5 points in block C00.

On the day she received her excellent results, her parents were still busy working in the forest and could not celebrate with their daughter. Ha called to tell her the news with a smile mixed with tears. That result helped her get closer to her dream of becoming a teacher and her desire to become a student at Da Nang University of Education. "It is a journey, a dream, a path for me to go further, to make my parents and family less burdened" - Ha said.

bqbht_br_z6811650618371-c2d9b9cd8e9604e59914c6ae4220f611.jpg — Family of female student Phan Thi Ha.

Sharing the joy with her child, Ms. Vi Thi Thom - Ha's mother was moved: "Born and raised in a poor family, I know my child has suffered many disadvantages, not having the conditions to study like his friends. I wanted to send him to extra classes but also had no money, so he had to study by himself and rely on the teachers' teachings. Loving him, his parents only knew how to encourage, share and try to work so that he could go to school. When I heard the news of his results, I was so happy that I cried. Thank you for your constant efforts."

bqbht_br_z6811650552918-b60a8dea10d38bf041969934b9fb2b9a.jpg — Teachers and 12th grade students of Ha Tinh Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School.

Phan Thi Ha is an excellent student in both study and group activities, a typical example of the effectiveness of ethnic education. She is also a model of perseverance and a thirst for knowledge that overcomes circumstances. She not only adds a bright spot to the traditional picture of nearly 30 years of construction and development of the school, but also fuels the dreams of ethnic minority students. The school is proud of her and hopes that she will promote the spirit of a good student of the ethnic boarding school, continue to study and practice well in the new environment.
Mr. Dang Thai Man
Principal of Ha Tinh Ethnic Boarding Secondary and High School