16-year-old Vietnamese girl receives promising leadership award in New Zealand

Thuy Truc had excellent academic results, often participated in supporting the school and spreading the image of Vietnam before receiving the promising leadership award from the New Zealand Ministry of Education and the Voice of Aroha organization.

Hoang Thuy Truc, the first Vietnamese student studying abroad in Palmerston North (New Zealand), received the promising leadership award from the New Zealand Ministry of Education and Voice of Aroha organization. PHOTO: NVCC

From government scholarships to international leadership awards

Hoang Thuy Truc, a 16-year-old student, is currently studying at Awatapu College (New Zealand). In mid-August, Truc was awarded the Prospective Leadership Award for International Students by the New Zealand Ministry of Education and the Voice of Aroha organization. The award "recognizes students' outstanding leadership skills and contributions in school and in the community," according to the New Zealand Ministry of Education.

Truc is also the first Vietnamese person in Palmerston North city (New Zealand) to receive the promising leadership award, information organization unit.

According to Truc, this meaningful achievement comes from her being more proactive, after seeing her classmates comfortably talking and seeking help from teachers without feeling afraid of being discussed by others. Not only actively participating in lectures, Truc also chooses subjects that require a lot of movement such as history, geography, business... to meet and get to know many new faces.

"The only obstacle on our path to development will be ourselves," Truc said.

Last school year, Truc was also awarded the academic excellence badge for achieving many excellent grades and is currently continuing to strive for this title in her final two years. According to Truc, excellent results are awarded to papers that demonstrate deep and broad knowledge of the subject, so not everyone can ensure that around 70% of the credits are excellent to receive the badge (each general subject in New Zealand includes many credits - PV).

In addition to studying, the female student also actively participates in school and community activities such as volunteering to support exchange students, learning about study life in New Zealand, helping new students get used to the new environment and many other volunteer activities. Part of this confidence comes from the fact that Truc achieved IELTS 7.5 in grade 9, when she was a student at Le Quy Don Secondary School (Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City).

Thuy Truc (left) and her friends participate in a school activity. PHOTO: NVCC

Notably, this is not the first time Truc has been honored by the New Zealand government, because two years ago at the age of 14, she was a rare secondary school student to be awarded a New Zealand Government Secondary School Scholarship (NZSS) to begin her studies at Awatapu College. At that time, she successfully convinced the selection board with a personal story, mentioning her passion for reading, writing and her desire to never stop learning.

"Until now, I still maintain the habit of writing a diary every day, mainly about my personal views on current world topics such as feminism and the famine in Gaza to draw lessons for myself and also to nurture my own inspiration for the future," Truc confided.

Help friends understand Vietnam correctly

As a Vietnamese studying abroad, Truc said she is always conscious of preserving and spreading the image and culture of Vietnam to international friends. For example, during the annual cultural week, female students wear ao dai and conical hats, and perform with Vietnamese friends at the same school with performances inspired by Vietnam, then give presentations to help friends understand more about their homeland.

"Like last year, we performed the song " One Round of Vietnam" (by musician Dong Thien Duc), and foreign friends praised us for being so heroic and motivating," Truc said, adding that she also cooked Vietnamese dishes like spring rolls to treat everyone and took the opportunity to introduce the origin and how to enjoy the food "properly".

Or in history class, when the teacher was talking about the resistance war against the US in Vietnam, many of Truc's friends misunderstood, "Vietnam has been at war for so long, so it must still be poor and hungry." "At that time, I confidently told everyone that my country was developing very well and had recently celebrated 50 years of unification. My friends were all surprised by that fresh, dynamic image and dispelling this misconception made me very happy," Truc confided.

On the contrary, the environment in New Zealand also helps female students feel that their Vietnamese identity is respected. Truc said that one memory she always remembers is when she first came to school, the teacher in charge asked her what name she wanted to be called. Initially, Truc intended to use an English name because she was worried that foreign students would have difficulty pronouncing her Vietnamese name correctly. "But the teacher told me to keep the name Truc, saying that it was a friendly name and everyone would learn to call me by my name correctly," Truc said.

"This really touched me, and now many friends and teachers can pronounce my name Truc correctly," the female student added.

Thuy Truc received the promising leadership award presented by Mr. Grant Smith, Mayor of Palmerston North City. PHOTO: NVCC

As a teacher who has accompanied Thuy Truc since she first set foot in New Zealand, Ms. Mary Cherian Mathews, International Director and Head of English Language at Awatapu College, commented that the female student achieved an "incredible achievement" when completing the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 with excellent results after only being exposed to New Zealand education for less than a year.

"Not only is Truc outstanding in her studies, she also actively contributes to the school's general activities. She is the school librarian, a friend of the newly arrived international students, a tour guide for the school and a member of the student council. In both cultural performances last year and this year, Truc chose to perform a Vietnamese dance to introduce her homeland's culture to her friends and teachers," Ms. Mathews recalled.

"Truc is a female student who will clearly define her goals and be determined to achieve them. She is a strong inspiration for her classmates," the female teacher said. "She is also extremely friendly, kind, behaves politely and always shows respect to teachers and friends."

Sharing about her future plans, Thuy Truc confided that she wants to pursue a career in diplomacy and is currently aiming for majors such as foreign affairs and international relations. "This is a job that is quite suitable for the path I am taking, and I also like to participate in social activities towards the community," the 16-year-old student shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nu-sinh-viet-16-tuoi-nhan-giai-lanh-dao-trien-vong-tai-new-zealand-18525090416095286.htm