Tran Ngoc Gia Khoa, born in 2004, currently lives in Prague, Czech Republic. In just a few days, Khoa will be leaving for England to study at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). This is one of the world's most prestigious universities for teaching and research in the social sciences.
Gia Khoa is the only student to receive the full Cato Stonex Undergraduate Scholarship from the university for EU students. This scholarship will cover his entire tuition fee of over £41,000 per year, along with a living allowance.
"This is the best gift I could give my mother, as a way to compensate for all the hardships and sacrifices she has silently endured over the years," Gia Khoa said.
Khoa said that after his parents divorced, his mother decided to take her two sons and leave Vietnam to start a new life in the Czech Republic. The first place the three of them moved to was Ústecký kraj, one of the most economically disadvantaged regions of the country.
Leaving with very little money and not knowing the local language, Khoa recalls that it was a time when the whole family struggled with financial difficulties.
To provide for her two children, Khoa's mother frequently did strenuous manual labor from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. "She did anything that earned money and worked tirelessly."
Meanwhile, Khoa's older brother suffers from a congenital heart condition. Many times, Khoa was on the verge of tears watching his mother and brother have to wake up at 3 a.m. to catch the early train to the capital for treatment. But it was precisely his mother's hardships that motivated Khoa to study and work diligently.
At the age of 11, Khoa started taking on small jobs to earn money to help his mother, such as tutoring Math and Physics in the Vietnamese community for about 2-3 sessions a week, and looking for additional translation work. Although he could only help his mother financially, it helped Khoa learn to have a more positive outlook on life.
"Holding the first money I earned, I understood that only through hard work can I achieve what I want," Khoa said.
When Khoa finished junior high school, his older brother was also starting university, so his mother decided to move the whole family to Prague to make it easier for Khoa to study. At this time, Khoa also passed the entrance exam to a high school specializing in finance in Prague.
At the age of 15, when he was old enough to legally work part-time, Khoa asked his mother for permission to work as a sales assistant at a clothing store. After a while, the young man applied to work as a collaborator for the British Council, a job he has maintained to this day.
Attending a high school specializing in finance also offered Khoa many advantages. In addition to foundational subjects learned in grades 10-11, students in grades 12-13 study in-depth subjects such as Sociology, Economics, Accounting, Law, etc.
From grade 12 onwards, students are required to participate in a short-term internship. During this time, Khoa interned in the Investment Department at the Prague Capital Commission. In grade 13, male students interned at the largest bank in Eastern and Central Europe - Česká spořitelna (part of the Erste Group) and several other international organizations.
"These experiences have given me a better understanding and foundation in economics, making me more confident in my choice to pursue this field in the future," Khoa said.
When Khoa decided to study finance, he initially hoped to study in Germany or the Netherlands so that his mother wouldn't have to bear the burden of expensive tuition fees. However, he later decided to try his luck with some top universities in the UK, even though the tuition fees were up to 20 times higher.
Ultimately, Khoa was accepted into 9 universities in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, and Norway, including the London School of Economics and Political Science, which awarded him a full scholarship.
According to the Vietnamese-American student, there are actually many excellent candidates, some even more deserving than him. But what makes Khoa confident that he has a chance is his deep connection to the values that this school pursues – a commitment to creating equal educational opportunities for all.
“Although I know the Czech government has done a great job of providing free education for all students, the reality is that many poor families still face racial discrimination. Having lived in a poor province before, I witnessed many families who couldn't even afford extracurricular activities or stationery for their children. Therefore, my wish is to study and apply the knowledge I gain to create equal educational opportunities for everyone.”
Furthermore, in his essay, Khoa also mentioned his mother's sacrifices many times. “For many years, I witnessed my mother working tirelessly just to ensure my siblings and I had a comfortable life. She always put our needs above her own health and desires. Despite being tired and facing many health problems, she never let her burden become a burden to us.”
"It was those tireless efforts that profoundly influenced and shaped my dreams and aspirations for learning. Together, we overcame the difficulties of our circumstances and moved forward step by step," Khoa wrote in his essay.
Witnessing his younger brother's efforts, Tran Ngoc Khiem (25 years old), Khoa's older brother, said that from a very young age, Khoa was mature and understanding beyond his years. "While other children played carefree, Khoa spent most of his time studying and working. He was always clearly aware of his responsibilities to his family. His circumstances and living environment have forged in him a strong will and unwavering character," Khiem said.
But Khoa felt that what he was doing wasn't anything extraordinary. "My mother has given me everything, so I have to try to make my dreams come true. My mother's lifelong hard work is what motivates me to succeed," Khoa shared.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/bai-viet-xuc-dong-ve-me-giup-10x-goc-viet-gianh-hoc-bong-cuc-hiem-tai-anh-2322442.html
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