Valedictorian of Hanoi University of Science and Technology thanks parents 'who didn't even finish 7th grade'

Recently, at the graduation ceremony of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, in front of thousands of students, Phuong Van Huy, valedictorian of the School of Electrical and Electronics, shared emotional words about his parents.

“I still remember the image of my parents working hard every day, leaving home before the morning dew and returning after the sun had set. Their sweat paid for my tuition, so that I could go to school and achieve the dreams that my parents never dared to dream of.

Although parents cannot teach their children advanced math problems, they have taught their children the greatest lessons in life, which are lessons about diligence, sacrifice and the value of knowledge," Huy shared.

556922153_1163227882597727_4350192515296281442_n (1).jpg — Phuong Van Huy, valedictorian of the School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, delivered a speech at the graduation ceremony. *Photo: HUST*

Huy is a San Chi ethnic, born and raised in a land rich in revolutionary tradition - ATK Dinh Hoa war zone ( Thai Nguyen ). During his high school years, the male student studied at Thai Nguyen Ethnic Boarding School. Here, Huy won the second prize for excellent students at the provincial level for 3 consecutive years.

From a shy, timid student, Huy began to dream of “further horizons”. In 2021, the male student was admitted to Hanoi University of Science and Technology through the talent selection method.

But the journey to the top technical school in the country was not easy. In the first days of school, he was overwhelmed by the huge amount of knowledge and the intelligence and dynamism of his friends. Many of them were students of specialized schools, among the best in the province and won national prizes.

Huy admits that he is "not too smart" and has never had any exposure to Calculus or Algebra.

“The first day of Calculus, I understood almost nothing. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers and students studied online. The lecture slides were always full, and after only 2 minutes the teacher turned to a new page. With a lesson like that, I had to spend a whole week reading the materials, reviewing the videos and reviewing to fully understand the content,” Huy recalled.

Faced with the huge amount of knowledge and the harsh exams at the Polytechnic, Huy only dared to set a modest goal: Graduating on time, getting a Good degree and a stable job to take care of his family.

Van Huy with his parents and younger brother. *Photo: NVCC*

However, during that period, Huy felt lucky to have met teachers who not only imparted knowledge but also “passed on the fire”, igniting his passion for the subject. In addition, Huy had friends who “studied all night”, shared instant noodles, solved difficult math problems and encouraged each other before each exam.

“Gradually, I learned how to study and stand firm in the stressful environment at the University of Science and Technology,” Huy said.

During his studies, Huy also bought foreign documents and specialized books to read more. When encountering difficult formulas, the male student was not afraid to prove them again from the beginning, determined to understand the root instead of thinking "this formula is correct, no need to prove it again". Thanks to that, at the end of his first year, Huy achieved an average score of 3.69/4.0.

In his third year, Huy began to participate in scientific research at the laboratory on “ Integrating renewable energy in the power grid”. From here, the San Chi student realized that the joy of studying lies not only in getting high scores but also in the ability to apply knowledge into practice.

“Scientific research helps me understand the theories I learn better. If before I only studied for exams, now I study to understand and apply them to solve real-life problems,” Huy said.

Huy’s four years at university were a series of hard days, with little entertainment, and almost all of his time was devoted to studying and researching. “I understood that I was not smart, so I had to trade it for diligence,” Huy said.

Huy on the day he received his diploma. *Photo: Thuy Nga*

Receiving the news that he became one of the 10 valedictorians of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Huy was "both surprised and pressured", because this was not only an honor but also a responsibility that motivated him to continue trying.

During his time studying at the Polytechnic, Huy said he felt discouraged and disappointed many times. But his parents were the motivation and belief that helped him get through the difficult times.

“Even though my parents only knew that I was studying in Hanoi, and didn’t know what I would study or what my future job would be, they still had a lot of faith in me. It was my parents who gave me the belief that as long as I tried hard, I could do it,” Huy said.

After graduating, Huy plans to continue his master’s studies at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, then find opportunities to study abroad. In the future, he will study and work to cover expenses and gain practical experience.