Students from An Bien High School take a commemorative photo before graduation. Photo: Bao Tran.
One June afternoon, the courtyard of An Bien High School was bathed in sunlight. The melodies of school days filled the air, adding to the poignant atmosphere of the graduation and farewell ceremony. Normally, the schoolyard is a place for playing shuttlecock, volleyball, and gathering for snacks during recess. But today, it became a place to hold memories of parting. On the chest of Le Nguyen Tuong Vy, a 12th-grade student, her name tag had faded with time. Gently stroking the tag, Vy said, “Attending the ceremony, listening to the teachers’ advice, and hearing my friends say goodbye, I feel a lump in my throat. From now on, we’ll all go our separate ways; there will be no more classes or recess together.”
The nostalgia was evident on every face, mingling in hugs, hastily taken photos, and even in farewell messages. Groups of students passed around pens, writing messages on their school uniforms. The white shirts were gradually covered with whimsical drawings of rainbows, clouds, sunflowers, and loving words: "Get into your first-choice university!", "Don't forget me!", "Good luck!"... All of it seemed to encapsulate the friendship of their youth. With teary eyes, Le Nhut Truong, a student from class 12A5, choked out: "Twelve years of schooling, what can we do when everyone has to grow up? No matter how much we love our school uniforms, we can't live in them forever."
The most touching moment during the gratitude and graduation ceremony at An Minh High School was when students read letters to their parents and pinned flowers onto their parents' chests. Many parents quietly wiped away tears. Among the seated guests were a father who worked as a construction laborer, wearing a shirt with creases still visible. A mother wore her newly purchased sandals to the ceremony. Many parents continuously raised their phones to capture the moment of their children. While taking pictures of her son, Mrs. Tran Thi Mai, a resident of An Minh commune, smiled and said, “I’m taking so many pictures because I’m afraid that when he goes to school far away and grows up, he won’t have moments like these anymore. It feels like just yesterday I was bringing him to school, and now he’s preparing to go to university. As parents, we only hope our children will grow up to be good people, know how to love their parents, and strive for their future.”
Representing nearly 400 12th-grade students from An Minh High School, Nguyen Thao Ngan, a student from class 12C3, spoke words she had never said before: “Throughout the world, no one is as good as a mother, and no one suffers as much as a father bearing the burdens of life. Looking back over the past 18 years, we realize that our growth has been achieved through sleepless nights of worry for our parents, through gray hairs and the marks of time etched on the faces of our loved ones. We apologize for our thoughtlessness and impulsive actions during our youth that caused our parents sorrow…”
Expressing heartfelt gratitude to her teachers, Thảo Ngân said emotionally, “Our teachers have taught us knowledge and how to be good people, always encouraging and supporting us to overcome difficulties in our studies and in life. No matter where we go in the future, we will never forget the lessons and love that our teachers have given us.”
After words of gratitude and tearful farewells, the first crossroads of 18-year-olds begin. Some are determined to take the university entrance exam with the dream of venturing out into the wider world. Others choose vocational training to start working early and help their families. Some want to leave their hometowns to seek new opportunities. But there are also students who long to return one day. Mai Truc Nghi, a student in class 12A5 at An Bien High School, said: “I aspire to study agriculture because it is a field closely related to the lives of my family and the people in my hometown. I hope to gain new knowledge in the future so that I can apply it to production and benefit my homeland.”
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Du, Vice Principal of An Bien High School, the school's administration wants students to understand that from today onwards, they must take responsibility for their choices. Success is not only measured by getting into university or what profession they pursue, but also by living a useful life, loving their families, and contributing to the community.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/chia-tay-de-truong-thanh-a488546.html
