Beloved Teacher Contest: Journey of Filial Piety

(NLDO) - There are teachers who do not appear with chalk on a blackboard, do not teach to the sound of the school bell, but have taught us many valuable lessons.

Good fortune in life seems to always come when we least expect it…just like the time I met Mr. Nguyen Thanh Minh (former Editor-in-Chief of Saigon Entrepreneur Newspaper, former Chairman of Luong Van Can Talent Support Fund, former Chairman of Saigon Entrepreneur Club) on an August afternoon nine years ago.

The teacher does not stand in class

Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, amidst the unfamiliarity of the city, he appeared solemn yet simple. That year, I had just entered university.

I came here when my small dream was still struggling on my parents' shoulders. For me at that time, studying meant having hope - and it was scary if people had to live without anything to dream about. My seemingly extravagant dream of going to university almost stopped halfway if it weren't for my teacher and the Luong Van Can Talent Support Fund. I learned about the fund through a friend, and the year I applied (2015) was also the first period of the fund's operation.

A freshman student who had just arrived in Ho Chi Minh City and was still unfamiliar with Hang Xanh or Chuong Cho Intersection, tried to grope her way through her scholarship application with the thought, " Anything can be tried when desperate ."

I remember the afternoons when the city was pouring with rain, the roads were bare and covered in water, I sat with my legs curled up for hours at the Internet cafe near the school just to type a few application forms and photocopy transcripts, certificates... The application round, then the difficult interviews made me want to give up many times. But perhaps the desire to go to school was too great, overcoming the inherent inferiority and fear of a girl who was away from home for the first time, more than 700 kilometers.

Now thinking back, those days will probably be memories that I can never forget for the rest of my life.

I first met him at the fund interview on an afternoon in August 2015: He wore a black suit and I wore a worn-out white high school shirt. The awkwardness of his "yes" and "no" and the "no" smile when he didn't know how to answer made me nervous. I never dared to think that the person who always asked the most difficult questions like him would finally decide to choose me, in surprise and confusion.

The day of the scholarship award ceremony was a beautiful day, but for some reason I choked up and burst into tears. While I was giving my speech about my future plans, I turned around as if looking for some encouragement: the teacher was standing behind me, silently looking at me with emotion.

I saw his eyes were a little moist. That was probably the first time I realized: he was not as cold as he appeared.

My teacher and the Luong Van Can Talent Support Fund have accompanied me throughout my difficult university journey. From support for tuition, living expenses, study materials, to the career Mentorship program or community projects... all have added countless colors to my life: the color of hope. I gradually learned how to share without waiting for myself to be "rich", gradually learned how to love myself and understood that everyone has values ​​to develop and contribute.

During regular meetings, he often asked me about my future plans, about the difficulties I was facing, about how to solve them, and especially, he could not forget to test the knowledge and skills I had learned at school.

He often said that to be successful, one needs to be honest and filial. Honesty and filial piety are not only limited to daily life but also need to be applied in work. That is also the motto of the fund, based on the thoughts and business philosophy of Mr. Luong Van Can.

It was those two things that my teacher told me that helped me anchor my heart to the light at countless crossroads and temptations in life. Having grown up after many failures, now for me, success is not when my account has more zeros or when I am respected by everyone. Success is simply becoming a good, kind person, a student who maintains the virtues of honesty and filial piety as my teacher taught.

Mr. Minh (standing in the middle) and the executive board of Luong Van Can Fund in 2015

No matter what position he is in, to me, he is always a guide, a orientator and a giver of wings to dreams. He has brought light and ignited the flame of hope not only for me but also for many other students across the country after becoming members of the fund. He once said that this is not a charity fund, but a fund to support talents. "Therefore, you are all excellent people and deserve many good things. Therefore, do not think that you are indebted or receiving any favors. What you need to care about is trying to study better, to be more successful every day, to be worthy of the word talent".

Photos of the 2015 Luong Van Can scholarship award ceremony

Teacher..!

That's probably the phrase I use most often when I need my teacher to comfort me, when the pain is stuck in my throat and I can only utter a few simple, bitter syllables.

In my third year, I intended to postpone my studies due to family issues. The teacher came to see me, asked about my future direction, then was silent for a moment. Tears of sadness kept flowing, even though I didn't want them to. The teacher gave me a tissue and some chocolates he bought during his business trip abroad, and gently said: "I made you cry." Suddenly, he felt strangely affectionate.

Right after graduating, my father suddenly passed away at sea, during a long voyage. Saigon was hazy in my eyes, then gradually blurred with tears. It was late at night, there were no cars, no means of transportation, I sat on the train platform, sobbing and calling my teacher, only had time to say "Teacher!" twice before bursting into tears.

The teacher listened quietly to my sobbing. Without saying much, his voice was warm as he thought of a way to help me solve the problem at hand: booking tickets. He made me understand that no matter what the situation, I need to maintain my sanity.

"Calm down..." – The teacher said. Miraculously, I suddenly felt like I had more strength. Luckily, I still had the teacher.

It's strange that even though he has never taught in a formal environment, all the students in the fund call him "Teacher" affectionately.

He gave me wings to fly all the way through university. After graduating, he rekindled my faith so that I would not give up after many failures. Not only me, but also many other students in the fund who had the opportunity to work with him.

Until now, he is still as serious as the first day we met. I rarely see him joking, but his image in my mind has never become unfamiliar. Maybe that's why whenever I achieve something, I always want to show him off, sometimes it's an article that has just been published, sometimes it's an award I just received... There are days when he texted " Take a clear photo for me to read ", sometimes it's simple but full of emotion " I'm so proud of you ". Every time like that, the corners of my eyes sting...

No matter how many years have changed, some people have passed by, some I have never even remembered in the hustle and bustle of making a living, but the image of my teacher is still imprinted, like a souvenir of my school days that I have, something that I will always cherish forever.

Thank you, my dear teacher!

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cuoc-thi-nguoi-thay-kinh-yeu-hanh-trinh-hieu-nghia-196241031123832138.htm