The Hre boy planned to "quit school to deliver glue", but turned the tide and became... valedictorian

(Dan Tri) - Hre boy Pham Quoc Toan planned to go to driving school after graduating from high school to become a glue delivery man. But thanks to his teacher's encouragement, he became valedictorian of Quy Nhon University.

With a total score of 27.78, male student Pham Quoc Toan, a former student of Pham Kiet High School, Ba To, Quang Ngai, became the valedictorian of Quy Nhon University in 2023.

The journey to the university gate of this Hre boy had many unexpected things that he himself did not expect.

Hre boy Pham Quoc Toan, valedictorian of K46 at Quy Nhon University (Photo: Provided by the school).

Born and raised in Kray village, Ba Tieu commune, Ba To mountainous district, Quang Ngai, a land with many difficulties, from a very early age, Pham Quoc Toan's family and himself had a plan... he would only study until grade 12, and after finishing high school, he would quit to work to earn a living.

It is understandable that Toan does not have much time to study every day. He only studies and reviews in class in the mornings, so during class, Toan concentrates on listening to lectures and tries to understand the lesson as he learns.

In the afternoons and on weekends, Toan followed his parents to the fields, carrying acacia from the mountains to sell. There were days when he worked from morning until night, and when he returned home, his books were still in his school bag.

Toan with his high school friends, Pham Kiet High School, Ba To, Quang Ngai (Photo: Quoc Toan).

In that environment, Toan's father planned that after graduating from high school, his son would go to driving school and then work as a hired glue carrier. This job was hard and dangerous, but it was the future path for his son that his father saw most clearly at that time.

Toan's plan to "quit school and deliver glue" took a turn in the second semester of 12th grade. The new English teacher who came to the school, upon learning of his plan, tried to encourage him to continue his studies and not give up. She praised Toan for being energetic, enthusiastic, and a good student...

It was these words of encouragement that fueled Toan's desire to study. At that time, Toan officially had a plan to review for the exam and declared, "I want to go to university." His relatives were excited for him, but his father remained silent.

"When he knew I passed the university entrance exam, my father just smiled and said nothing. When he knew I was valedictorian, it seemed like he changed a little and had faith in my different path," Toan confided.

The result of being valedictorian was also beyond Toan's expectation. Actually, Toan likes studying literature but "dared" to register his first choice to study History Pedagogy at Quy Nhon University with the purpose of testing himself.

History is a major that usually requires very high scores, Toan thought he would never pass so he registered to try his hand. "Falling through the sieve and falling into the basket", Toan's plan, if he failed his first choice, would be to go to his second choice which is literature, the major he loved.

Unexpectedly, Toan not only did not fail his first choice of History Pedagogy but also became... the school's valedictorian.

Being valedictorian was no small effort for a young man from an ethnic minority, but Toan also understood that the score was only the result at that time, in that exam. In reality, there were many people around him, many friends who were better than him.

"Being valedictorian with many expectations also became a big pressure for me," Toan confided.

On the day he packed his bags to go to university, Toan brought with him the traditional shirt of the Hre boys as a personal belonging and a reminder to preserve his national identity and strive to study.

The young man hopes to return to his hometown to teach in the future (Photo: Quoc Toan).

Toan likes history and learning about history, but this is not his strong subject. Learning history is much more difficult for Toan than other subjects, so studying in the lecture hall will present him with many challenges and difficulties ahead.

Entering university, the young Hre cherished the dream of becoming a teacher to pursue the path of teaching. He hoped that after graduating, he could return to his hometown to teach, work, and earn a living to take care of himself, his family, and more importantly, contribute to his hometown.

Dantri.com.vn