1. In his dorm room at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, after hours of studying in the lecture halls and working part-time to earn extra income to cover his living expenses as a student away from home, Tran Viet Hoc relaxes, rewarding himself with a tune on the zither. Whenever the sweet, deep sound of the zither resonates, the student's soul is refreshed by the subtle, nuanced tones of the one-stringed instrument that has been ingrained in his consciousness since childhood.

Tran Viet Hoc reports from the 2024 Admissions and Career Guidance Fair of the Academy of Journalism and Communication.

Born into a farming family in Lam Trung Thuy commune, Duc Tho district, Ha Tinh province (now Duc Thinh commune, Ha Tinh province), Viet Hoc grew up surrounded by folk songs and melodies imbued with the spirit, character, aspirations, and emotions of the people of Nghe An province. A turning point in his life came in 2015 when Viet Hoc was selected for his school's performing arts team to participate in the Duc Tho District Folk Song and Melody Festival. This was the first time the 10-year-old boy stepped outside his village and into a larger, more vibrant community art environment. Thanks to his smooth and expressive voice, the boy from the countryside made a significant mark in his life by officially stepping onto the professional stage of "The Voice Kids Vietnam 2018".

The Voice Kids is a music competition for children aged 6 to 15 who are passionate about singing, led directly by renowned coaching pairs such as Ho Hoai Anh-Luu Huong Giang, Bao Anh-Khac Hung, and Soobin Hoang Son-Vu Cat Tuong. When the country boy sang the emotionally charged song " Hanoi 12 Seasons of Flowers" (by composer Giang Son) on the The Voice Kids stage, composer Ho Hoai Anh quickly pressed the button to select Viet Hoc's performance. Thanks to this, Viet Hoc passed the "blind audition" to become an official member of the coaching pair Ho Hoai Anh-Luu Huong Giang.

In 2019, Viet Hoc continued to participate in the "Ultimate Kids' Duet" competition organized by Vinh Long Radio and Television Station. Although he only reached the top 9, the competition created a great stepping stone for Viet Hoc to go to Hanoi to study Traditional Music at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. Away from his family at an age when he should still be surrounded by his parents, Viet Hoc was sometimes overwhelmed and bewildered by the new and unfamiliar pace of life in the capital city for a boy from the countryside. Viet Hoc's journey to pursue his passion for the zither is intertwined with the silent sacrifices of his family. Viet Hoc recounts the words of his older sister, who had just been accepted into Hanoi Pedagogical University, filled with tears and boundless love: "Mom and Dad, maybe I should drop out of school and go to Japan to work abroad to support my younger sibling's dream." That statement became a powerful motivation for Viet Hoc to prove his determination to his parents and sister at the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

After six years of diligently studying both music and culture, Viet Hoc graduated with honors from the intermediate-level program specializing in the zither (dan bau) in June 2025. He is one of the rare young people pursuing the zither – an instrument embodying the soul of Vietnam. Under the dedicated guidance of People's Artist Thanh Tam (zither player), the student consistently achieved excellent academic results and received certificates of merit for outstanding student from the Academy. Furthermore, Viet Hoc was honored with a scholarship organized by Toyota Vietnam in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and was recognized as a Young Vietnamese Music Talent in 2022.

2. As he matured, Viet Hoc realized that simply playing the zither wasn't enough. What the young man yearned for was to touch people's awareness, hearts, and understanding of culture. "I want people not only to listen to the music but also to read and understand the deeper layers of cultural meaning," Viet Hoc expressed.

From a boy who only liked to express his feelings through musical notes, at the age of 18, Viet Hoc carried the ambition and determination to pass the entrance exam to the Academy of Journalism and Communication, choosing to study Cultural Development as a way to illuminate his chosen path. Viet Hoc confided that he did not abandon music, but wanted to contribute to enriching the journey of cultural preservation with a new tool. For him, the zither can convey emotions, while the pen helps him preserve and spread positive messages about cultural and artistic life.

Driven by a passion and aspiration to become a professional journalist, Viet Hoc diligently studied and successfully completed his credits in the Culture and Development major, while also proactively seeking out, learning, and familiarizing himself with the work of journalism. After two years of participating in activities at the Song Tre News Club of the Institute of Journalism and Communication (Academy of Journalism and Communication), Viet Hoc had the opportunity to participate in many activities and events inside and outside the Academy with fellow journalism students, thereby honing and gradually mastering journalistic skills in a standardized and professional manner. To date, Viet Hoc has not only published nearly 100 news articles, photos, and videos on the Song Tre website of the Academy of Journalism and Communication (a website licensed by the state management agency since 2012), but he has also been entrusted by his teachers with the responsibility of managing the Culture section of this website.

Recently, Viết Học led a team (along with Hà Linh and Tùng Chi) to conduct surveys, collect documents and materials, and interview experts to produce a three-part series titled "What Job Opportunities Are Available for the Visually Impaired?". The work was shortlisted in the top 10 of the Online Journalism category at the 10th Sóng Trẻ Journalism Awards of the Academy of Journalism and Communication in 2025.

Confiding in me, Viet Hoc said that he persistently nurtured and pursued his passion for journalism because he felt a sense of enjoyment riding his motorbike through the streets and villages; carrying a camera on his shoulder to capture beautiful moments of his homeland, country, and cultural regions; holding a phone to record conversations, interviews, and interviews with people; and in the evening, sitting in his room, typing away on the keyboard to produce journalistic works reflecting the rich cultural life of the community, society, and rural areas. “The border regions, the high mountains, the remote villages… always hold a strong attraction for young people with aspirations to become journalists like me, and that is also the goal I aim for on my field trips when conditions are favorable,” Viet Hoc shared.

In the future—as Viết Học once revealed—he aims to become an active journalist in the field of culture and art, contributing to the dissemination of positive information and using his pen to help create new values. He affirms that the role of young people in preserving culture is to be creative, based on exploiting existing values ​​and bringing them into modern life through a fresh perspective.

To build a bright future for himself, he must always focus on his studies in the present. With this simple mindset, the petite student has achieved encouraging results. Over the past two years, he has consistently maintained a high and excellent GPA, earning a scholarship from the Academy. Furthermore, his second prize in the "Student Startup Ideas Competition 2025" organized by the Academy of Journalism and Communication, and an honorable mention in the "Green Message" Competition 2025, organized by the Academy of Journalism and Communication in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Institute of Germany in Vietnam, served as catalysts for Tran Viet Hoc to continue writing, adding promising new chapters to his career path.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-17/chang-sinh-vien-voi-khat-vong-cao-ca-ve-nghe-bao-1013934