Valedictorian of Japanese Studies: My student years taught me how to accept myself.

Le Thi Thanh Tam was born in 2001 in Son Tay town, Hanoi. With a GPA of 3.66/4.0, she was one of the top graduates honored at the graduation ceremony in August 2023 of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
This female student majoring in Japanese Studies holds a JLPT N2 Japanese language certificate, has received academic achievement scholarships in multiple semesters, and has been awarded the 20th Kova Scholarship and the Memorial Fund Scholarship.

Thanh Tam on her graduation day in August 2023.

Speaking to the Vietnamese Student section of Tien Phong newspaper, Thanh Tam said that the valedictorian title came as a great surprise and filled her with happiness. Throughout her studies, she aimed to graduate with honors, but never imagined achieving the top position in her major.
Tam's father passed away when she was in middle school, so her mother worked very hard to ensure her daughter could continue her education. Therefore, she believes that her mother is the proudest and happiest person of all about this good news.
Thanks to graduating as valedictorian, she was able to sit with her mother in the prestigious seats reserved for the families of valedictorians, escort her mother onto the stage to receive flowers and certificates, and witness her mother's radiant smile.
"I think this is the best thing I've done in over 20 years for the most wonderful woman in my life," Thanh Tam said emotionally.

Thanh Tâm and her mother (second from the left) go on stage to receive her bachelor's degree.

Four years ago, when faced with the major life decision of choosing a major and a university, she felt uncertain and hesitated many times. More than just liking it, she realized that Japanese Studies was a highly practical field of study that offered many opportunities in the future.
With this major, Thanh Tam not only learned Japanese but also gained a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, country, and people. She participated in many interesting extracurricular activities and is a member of the Hanoi Urasenke Tantokai tea ceremony club.
"I'm gradually falling in love with my field of study, wanting to conquer a complex language like Japanese and understand more about the Land of the Cherry Blossoms. I regret not having the opportunity to visit Japan during my student years, but this will be a goal I strive for in the future," she confided.
At the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, both general courses and specialized courses in Japanese Studies require memorizing a lot of theory. To study well, Thanh Tam believes the key is to understand and explain the issues from her own perspective. She then chooses to write things down, sometimes by highlighting main points, sometimes in the form of mind maps. She feels that taking notes by hand helps her remember the material faster and for longer.
When she first started her freshman year, she mistakenly thought that she only needed to excel in her major subjects, and that general theoretical subjects didn't require much effort. As a result, she received poor grades in Marxist-Leninist Philosophy and gradually realized that every subject affects her overall results.
"If we pay close attention and take notes, we'll find that all university subjects are useful, at one time or another, for one thing or another. I hope no one else will make the same regrettable mistake I did," Thanh Tam concluded.

An activity organized by Japanese Studies students that Thanh Tam participated in.

Instead of writing a graduation thesis, she chose to study Japanese Literature. Thanks to this course, she became acquainted with many excellent and unique works by famous Japanese authors such as Miyamoto Teru, Kawai Masao, Jiyugaku Akiko, Shimura Fukumi, and others.
Thanh Tâm was particularly impressed with the novel "The Expressive Power of the Feet" by Abe Kobo. In the work, the author doesn't simply talk about "physical" feet, but also portrays "feet" as a highly expressive and meaningful element in Bunraku (a traditional Japanese theatrical genre), Kabushiki, and traditional Sumo wrestling. Although feet are considered the lowest part of the body, and in some places even "not noble," they are portrayed with subtlety and profound meaning in Yamaguchi's writing. This is why she loves this work.
The top-scoring female student shared that the lesson she learned during her university years that she is most grateful for is self-acceptance. As an introvert, she used to have some insecurities. Living away from home, becoming independent, starting part-time jobs, and meeting many people, she understood that worrying or being overly afraid of herself would only hold her back. Instead, she chose to confront her weaknesses and work on improving them to become a better version of herself.
She believes that if you are an introvert, you shouldn't force yourself to be an extrovert just to appear more energetic and outgoing in a university environment. Regardless of personality traits, everyone is a unique individual and needs to know how to leverage their strengths to become a confident person.

Thanh Tam's favorite quote is, "Love the life you live and live the life you love."

"Being a little overweight is okay, as long as I eat and live a balanced lifestyle to stay healthy. After a long day, I usually reward myself with something, like a good night's sleep. That's how I embrace new joys, new friends, and new opportunities. That's also how I love the life I live and live the life I love," she emphasized.
Currently, Thanh Tam works at the Hanoi office of a Japanese corporation. Her role is to use Japanese to assist customers using the company's services. Although she still feels a bit overwhelmed in her first official office job, the opportunity to apply her foreign language skills in her field and receive positive feedback from customers is her joy and motivation to go to work every day.
Besides her bachelor's degree in Japanese Studies, Thanh Tam is pursuing advanced studies to obtain the highest level Japanese language proficiency certificate, JLPT N1, with the dream of working in Japan.