The journey of a female student from an ethnic minority group in Yen Bai province to conquer her dreams: she was admitted to a program with an entrance exam score of 29.95.

In the early days after arriving in the district, Trang felt bewildered and anxious about everything around her. Having come from a life closely connected to cinnamon trees and buffaloes, she now had to move to a bustling city, without the care and attention of her parents. In the first few weeks, Trang missed home and her parents terribly. “One afternoon after school, I hid in the dormitory bathroom and cried. Seeing my friends’ parents come to visit me made my heart ache. Then, when I heard my mother’s voice on the phone I borrowed from my parents, I couldn’t hold back anymore; I screamed and cried, wanting to see her,” Trang recalled sadly. Despite the difficulties, Trang overcame all obstacles to become stronger and more mature. Her independence helped her quickly adapt to the new environment and discipline, preparing her for a journey towards bright goals. “The four years at the Van Yen District Boarding School were a golden time for me. From a shy ethnic minority girl, I became someone who dared to try and conquer all competitions. In 7th grade, I was fortunate enough to be entrusted by my teachers with the responsibility of being the Student Union Leader, representing and pioneering the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's moral example for all the students in the school,” Trang shared.
While participating in cultural and artistic programs at the district and provincial levels, and engaging in district-level scientific research, Trang was also an outstanding student in the school's Literature team. In 9th grade, with her passion for literature and writing talent, Quynh Trang won second prize in Literature at the provincial level. This was the result of her tireless efforts, constant learning, and unwavering dedication to overcoming difficulties.
Go to another province to study.
Thanks to her hard work and dedication since middle school, Trang has achieved many outstanding accomplishments and was selected as one of the four students in the district who met the criteria for direct admission to Viet Bac Highland High School (Thai Nguyen City) - a school 250 km away from her family. At her new school, Trang visits her parents less often, only returning home during Tet (Lunar New Year) and summer vacation. Due to the inconvenient travel, Trang's parents also find it difficult to arrange visits for her. Therefore, Trang always reminds herself to strive for independence and self-awareness in her life and studies.
At first, Trang felt very sad and lonely in a place where she knew no one. “There were times I was afraid I would be left behind, afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the others,” Trang shared. But in reality, her circumstances molded Trang into an incredibly strong-willed and resilient person. Overcoming all material and emotional hardships, Trang diligently studied under the guidance and support of her teachers and friends. “Seeing all my classmates, who also came from many distant provinces, succeed, why can’t I?” Trang firmly believed. At the remote highland school, Trang devoted all her time to studying. Selected by Ms. Luong Thi Kim Dung to join the school's team, Trang realized even more that she still needed to work hard to achieve better results. As a result, throughout her three years of high school, Trang was a model student with impressive achievements such as: being one of 142 outstanding ethnic minority students awarded by the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and the Ministry of Education in 2022; being the top student in the C00 group at Viet Bac High School for the Highlands; achieving 30.5 points (including priority points) and being admitted to the Public Relations major at the Institute of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, with an admission score of 29.95; winning first prize in Literature at the provincial level in 12th grade and participating in the National Excellent Student Team. Two second prizes in the provincial-level excellent student competition in Literature in grade 11 and advanced grade 12, and a third prize in the provincial-level excellent student competition in Literature in grade 10;...
The doors of university open to many new experiences.
Upon entering university, Trang chose the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, to continue her journey of pursuing her education. For Trang, "this is the university I've dreamed of for a long time. The tuition is cheaper than other universities, so I can help ease the financial burden on my parents, but the quality of education and training is in no way inferior to anywhere else." The opening of the university gates also opened up many opportunities for Quynh Trang to seize and develop.