The touching story of a talented youth union secretary in the capital.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thanh - Faculty of Oriental Studies (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi).

Six months of family reunion in the city.

When my father retired and became frail, the family discovered he had rectal cancer. After much deliberation, we finally put aside our financial difficulties and the whole family packed up and traveled from Quang Ninh to Hanoi for my father's examination and treatment.

That was also the most challenging but meaningful period for the poor student Thu Thanh. While her father was in the hospital for monitoring, check-ups, and treatment, Thanh rushed back and forth, juggling her studies at school and then going to be with her father, taking turns so her mother could rest.

Seeing her father lying surrounded by cold medical equipment in the hospital, and gazing at her mother's increasingly thin face, Thanh vowed to study even harder so that her parents wouldn't have to work so hard. Although the six months in the hospital were difficult, Thanh could never forget them.

Because for six months, the family was able to gather together, caring for each other from a bowl of soup, a pillow, to sharing the cost of gas for transportation... whereas before, when parents were busy making ends meet, they rarely had the chance to sit together as a family.

Fortunately, because the disease was detected early and treated promptly, Thanh's father was able to overcome this serious illness.

Recalling her childhood memories, Thanh mused, "My childhood was spent growing up alongside my mother's vegetable stall. My father worked as a factory worker with a meager salary. The family's monthly income was no more than 3 million dong, but we had countless expenses..."

I still remember the years when my mother went out to sell vegetables from the early morning until everyone else had finished cleaning up after dinner. A single rose for her on March 8th was a luxury beyond our family's means.

The more Thanh loved her parents, the more determined she was to study hard to change her life. Throughout her high school years and up to now, Thanh has consistently achieved impressive results: Second Prize in the Provincial Excellent Student Competition in Literature; Third Prize in Literature for specialized schools in the Northern Coastal and Northern mountainous regions; and an AEON scholarship from Japan for high-achieving students.

Thanh is also a recipient of the "Soaring Dreams" scholarship for underprivileged students from Quang Ninh Province…

When the opportunity arises, the impression is made only once.

Due to her family circumstances, Thanh developed a strong sense of independence from a young age. However, also because of her family situation, Thanh never considered studying any artistic talents, even though she loved them. Every time she watched her friends practice dancing or singing, the young girl would stand at the window and watch intently.

It wasn't until her first year of university, during a History lesson with Professor Tran Bach Hieu, that Thanh had the opportunity to... act in a play. The group assignment included a humorous role that added color to the play, which Thanh successfully performed to applause from the audience.

Currently, this third-year student is working part-time at a Chinese language center while also maintaining a strong academic record. At the same time, Thanh is also a highly respected and enthusiastic youth union officer.

Secretary Thu Thanh's achievements in youth union activities are growing just as impressive as her academic accomplishments. Recently, Thanh was awarded the title of "Outstanding Youth Union Secretary of the Capital City" by the Hanoi City Youth Union.

For Thanh, it was the greatest gift she could give her parents. For the past year, Thanh has been able to support herself as a student living away from home, paying for tuition and sometimes pushing aside her feelings of loneliness to smile, knowing that it has lessened the burden on her parents.

"The old man who lost his horse" turned out to be a good thing.

Even now, as a third-year university student, Thanh still longs for the Lunar New Year and summer holidays so she can go home to her parents. Away from home, in the glamorous city with its many temptations, Thanh always reminds herself, "Even in poverty, maintain your dignity."

Recalling her first year, when she was eligible to study in Taiwan, Thanh intended to apply for a bachelor's degree. The application process, for a student who had just finished one semester, had never researched studying abroad, had limited foreign language skills, and lacked specific guidance, led Thanh to abandon her application midway.

Not upset by it, the "Outstanding Young Face of the National University" jokingly said: "If I had managed to get the application done back then, I would probably be studying in Taiwan for two years by now. But thanks to that 'lucky old man's misfortune' lesson, I'm now back home, close to my parents."

In the future, I will strive to study even harder so that I can return to my hometown and contribute to building up this beloved land, which holds so many memories for me.

According to Ngoc Trang - Education & Times