Thuy Lam is the founder and head of the organizing committee of the "Empowering Minds Initiatives" Liberal Education Summer Camp for high school students - Photo: NVCC
Nguyen Tran Thuy Lam, 11th grade English major at Tran Hung Dao High School for the Gifted ( Binh Thuan ), received a full scholarship of 2.6 billion VND for the two-year IB program at UWC Changshu (China), one of the most rigorous high school scholarships in the world.
A journey of perseverance in learning
Few people know that the journey to the prestigious scholarship was a series of days of perseverance overcoming difficulties, with Lam's own inner strength and strong self-study spirit.
Lam said that her starting point was quite modest compared to many other scholarship applications. During her secondary school years, she studied at a district school in Thuan Nam town, Binh Thuan province. Her family did not have much money as her mother was a music teacher and her father was a security guard.
Growing up in an environment where most people believed that "only the rich can study abroad", Lam almost never thought that she could step out into the world. The concept of studying abroad used to be something too far away for her.
However, Lam still nurtured her dream. There was a time when her father lost his job. During the day, Lam helped her mother with housework, and at night, she continued studying English. It was a stressful time, but it did not make her falter.
The turning point came when Lam entered high school: after much effort in studying, she passed the entrance exam to the English specialized class of Tran Hung Dao High School for the Gifted - one of the top schools in the province.
However, this process was not easy because Lam had almost no conditions to learn English before. To nurture her dream, during the last days of 9th grade, her mother took her to the city every day for 4 hours to learn English. Although it was hard, Lam never thought of giving up.
Lam's great inspiration came from the story of a student from Binh Thuan who received a full scholarship from Harvard. "If she can do it, so can I," Lam thought.
From there, I began to learn more about international scholarships and was especially impressed with UWC - a school that not only evaluates students by their scores, but also looks at their journey, efforts and life values.
Having decided to apply to UWC, Lam spent a whole year preparing. She studied academically and participated in extracurricular activities to "improve" her application. She took advantage of every break to write essays, learn about the application process, and read about the experiences of her seniors.
Winning scholarships through self-study and responsibility
Thuy Lam (second from right) in the 10km race with the school's running club - Photo: NVCC
At Tran Hung Dao High School for the Gifted, Lam soon realized the limitations of students from the provinces: lack of academic resources, lack of playgrounds for comprehensive development. But instead of waiting, Lam chose to create opportunities.
Together with a group of friends, I founded a free education project, a specialized exam preparation program for disadvantaged students. The experiences from the project were truly reflected by Lam in the UWC essay. The essay did not include high scores, IELTS scores or international awards, but rather the difficult journey of preparing for the specialized exam, the dedicated educational project, and my spirit of self-study and self-responsibility.
In addition to completing the essay and self-introduction video as required by the admissions committee, Lam also proactively prepared a portfolio to clearly demonstrate the achievements she has strived to achieve over the past time.
During the summer of 9th grade, Lam did a marketing internship, designing posters with her mother using an old computer. This practical experience and proactive spirit helped her convince the UWC admissions board.
Currently, at UWC Changshu, Lam studies with friends from over 104 countries. The learning method is not divided into fixed classes but by subject, each class has a minimum of 20 students. The diversity in culture, thinking, and learning methods is an opportunity for Lam to hone her skills and broaden her worldview - exactly what she had wished to "grow up" before entering university.
Being away from home for the first time was difficult for Lam. Due to expensive airfare and limited finances, she stayed in China every holiday. Lam actively studied, practiced the language, and learned about the local culture.
Lam shared that after graduation, she will continue to pursue her study abroad journey, aiming at universities in the US, UK... because she has a special passion for psychology.
Never stop trying, never be afraid of challenges
Ms. Ngo Giang Thanh Thuy - literature teacher at Tran Hung Dao High School for the Gifted - shared that Thuy Lam is a student who is always self-conscious, proactive in researching and studying, and constantly strives to achieve her set goals.
Lam is not afraid to face difficulties and challenges and always chooses to face them in a positive and healthy way. Besides, she also possesses a high ability to adapt and quickly integrates into new environments.
Kim Ngan - a classmate in Vietnam - commented that Lam is full of energy, enthusiasm, perseverance and passion. Lam is active in studying, relationships and projects, always strong and determined to pursue goals to the end.
Turning faith in education into action
In her essay, when answering the question: "If you become a part of UWC, how will you contribute to the mission of the school?", Lam clearly expressed the values that she always believes in by saying: "In the world I envision, education is not a privilege, but a bridge leading to equal access to knowledge for everyone."
In addition, summarizing her journey and extracurricular activities, Lam wrote: "That experience not only showed me the power of education to change a person's life, but also helped me realize that small actions can also make big changes, not only for others but also for myself."
It was this belief, along with her proactive spirit and authentic story, that helped Lam convince the UWC admissions committee.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bai-luan-giup-nu-sinh-lop-11-tinh-le-gianh-hoc-bong-du-hoc-2-6-ti-20250413173145521.htm
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