Male student wins 7 scholarships to study in the US after shocking failure to get into specialized school

Nguyen Minh Hai

Nguyen Minh Hai - a student of class 12D2, international joint block, Phan Dinh Phung High School (Hanoi) has just received scholarships to study abroad from 7 universities in the US. All 7 schools have the major that Hai plans to pursue - Finance. Hai decided to study at Skidmore College with a scholarship of 200,000 USD (about 4.5 billion VND) for 4 years of study.

Originally a good student, Minh Hai had a “peaceful” elementary and middle school years. But in the 10th grade entrance exam, he missed the chance to enter his dream specialized school by 0.5 points. This was the first shock in Minh Hai’s life.

The day he received his exam results, his whole world collapsed. The 10x was self-conscious, thinking he was weak and incompetent. His father's words of encouragement lifted his spirit. Instead of expressing disappointment, he said he was very proud because he felt his son's efforts throughout 9th grade. He also told Hai that his father had failed the university entrance exam, was determined to retake the exam, and now he had succeeded. He believed Hai could do the same.

“Thinking back now, I silently thank that time I failed the entrance exam to a specialized school. Having to go through that feeling, I became more mature, and realized how much my family members loved and trusted me. And most importantly, I found my passion,” Hai said.

Hai’s parents own a small agricultural business. Therefore, since he was a child, Hai heard his father tell him about his business. His father also confided in Hai many times about his desire to bring Vietnamese agricultural products to the world market. Since then, Hai has also nurtured his love for this industry.

In 10th grade, Hai began looking for universities in the US that offer finance courses and learned about the necessary factors to plan to "hunt" for scholarships. Hai set a goal of maintaining a high GPA and increasing it gradually each school year, demonstrating his daily efforts. 3.7/4.0 is the GPA that the male student achieved after 3 years of studying at Phan Dinh Phung High School.

Hai often studies deeply in the financial field, so he can easily implement projects related to this industry. Hai once established a club to support students in managing their spending reasonably. In addition, during the complicated COVID-19 pandemic, the 10x also sold spices such as pepper, salt, and chili online. This was also the time when Hai understood that making money is not easy and to be successful in each field, it is necessary to research and choose the golden time.

“After 6 months of business, I earned 12 million VND in profit. All of this money was donated to the COVID-19 vaccine fund in Vietnam,” Hai said.

In addition to his efforts to create a "beautiful CV", Hai also devoted a lot of effort to his essay. One essay was inspired by a 6-day charity trip to a primary and secondary school in Lao Cai.

In the first days of school, Hai, who was naturally competitive, taught the children in the highlands in a rigid manner, showing that he was “on a different level”. Only when he did not receive any interaction from the children and indifferent looks did the male student begin to look back at himself.

Hai remembers that the teachers who taught him were all trained through school and certainly had a deeper understanding, yet they were always open-minded and listened to the opinions of their students. Applying this, Hai began to get to know each student in the friendliest way, listening to their wishes through each small letter. After 6 short days, Hai was loved by many children.

“I came here as a teacher, hoping to teach the children useful knowledge. But the children taught me lessons about harmony, reducing competitiveness, caring and listening more,” Hai said.

This essay about change helped Hai "reap" 7 scholarships - something that was a luxury for him 3 years ago.

Next August, Hai will go to the US to study. In a foreign country, Hai hopes to learn about finance and business, especially in the agricultural sector. After completing his studies, Hai plans to return to Vietnam to support his father in expanding his business model, bringing Vietnamese agricultural products to more countries around the world.

Ms. Le Thi My Dung, homeroom teacher of class 12D2, commented that Hai is an active student with many talents. In particular, in school and class activities, Hai always enthusiastically participates as a leader.

“Hai is a smart student and has a plan for his life. Hai himself has had a plan to hunt for a scholarship in the US since grade 10 and shared this goal with his homeroom teacher to ask for advice. I am very proud of my student,” Ms. Dung shared.

According to VTC News