Girl who failed English entrance exam wins PhD scholarship in the US

Having struggled because she failed the English entrance exam, few people expected that at the age of 22, Nguyen Ngoc Huyen would become the owner of a doctoral scholarship worth more than 10 billion VND for 5 years of study at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (USA).

Huyen said the secret to winning the school's scholarship mainly came from actively participating in valuable academic activities - Photo: NVCC

The scholarship covers tuition, living expenses, and a research salary. The journey begins with the first "slip"...

Stumbled by language barrier

Having failed to meet the English entrance requirements, Nguyen Ngoc Huyen (born in 2001, from Binh Dinh) was forced to stop studying for half a semester to study for IELTS, accepting to graduate later than her friends. That was a challenging start to her university journey at the International University, Ho Chi Minh City National University.

"Thanks to that process, I learned perseverance, which is extremely important when doing research. In addition, my vocabulary has improved significantly, and I don't have to spend too much time translating each sentence when reading research articles," Huyen shared.

Recalling her journey to pursue a career in scientific research, Huyen proudly said that it all started from a very special source of inspiration - Professor Tran Thanh Van. She was fortunate to attend a conference with the teacher, and it was that first meeting that ignited her passion for research.

He helped her realize that doing scientific research requires not only passion but also patience, from which she can create many practical values ​​for society, especially in the field of agriculture - the research direction she is pursuing.

Therefore, right from her second year of university, Huyen had clearly defined her goal: to study abroad to continue her research path in an international academic environment. She did not wait until “near the end” to prepare, she started planning early and systematically built her application based on the requirements of the schools.

Striving for academic dreams

Huyen chose to invest in scientific research, and actively attended conferences and seminars at home and abroad, especially at the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science andEducation (ICISE, Quy Nhon).

"Every time there is an event, I often bring my research paper to present, share it with scientists, listen to comments and then gradually edit it," Huyen said. That is how she both learns and completes her scholarship application with valuable practical experience.

During her time as a student, Huyen did not participate in many clubs or extracurricular activities but mainly focused on academic competitions and supporting research with lecturers.

She said she always carefully selects activities, only participating in those that are truly helpful for her studies and research orientation.

Thanks to that clear priority, Huyen has received many valuable scholarships at home and abroad, such as the Amcham scholarship of the American Chamber of Commerce, the EVN scholarship 2023, and the Pony Chung scholarship in 2022, 2023... expanding international academic and research opportunities.

Her research achievements are also impressive with 5 international articles in the ISI system, including 2 articles as the main author and 3 co-authors, which is rare for university students to do.

After graduating last year, Huyen was selected to participate in an exchange program at Chang Gung University (Taiwan), where she had the opportunity to work with international lecturers, access new research techniques and improve her specialized English.

The young girl still can't forget the feeling of tension when interviewing for a doctoral scholarship: "There were two examiners and a secretary. They asked me why I chose the school, my future research direction... Luckily, I prepared well so I answered well."

"I would like to thank my parents, teachers, and instructors, who have motivated me to persevere in this career. Thanks to that, I am who I am today," Huyen confided.

When she comes to the US, Huyen plans to continue pursuing research in the field of biochemistry - a major that she has been attached to and devoted much of her time to during her past years of study.

Always responsible and serious at work

Dr. Vu Thanh Ngoc - Faculty of Biotechnology, International University, Ho Chi Minh City National University, instructor - shared that Huyen is one of the most diligent students and has the most outstanding research achievements in her group so far.

She always shows a progressive spirit, responsibility and seriousness in her work. Despite the limited research facilities, Huyen is not afraid of difficulties and always tries to find ways to overcome them to produce reliable results.

"What impresses me most about Huyen is her passion for research. She constantly learns both basic knowledge and new techniques, and is always proactive in renewing herself to improve every day," she said.

Similarly, Dr. Le Quang Phong - lecturer of the Faculty of Biotechnology at the International University, Ho Chi Minh City National University - commented that Huyen always shows seriousness and meticulousness in studying as well as in the process of carrying out assigned scientific experiments.

With each task, she always starts by thoroughly researching the problem, making specific and detailed plans for each step, ensuring that everything is carried out scientifically and reasonably.

Some international published articles of Huyen

"Fermented white dragon fruit peel extract with potential to enhance antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-biofilm formation and UV protection", "Biological conversion of passion fruit waste into products with high stability, superior bioabsorption and selective functionality"... both published in the international journal Waste and Biomass Valorization , under the ISI system.

Concession Lake

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-gai-tung-truot-tieng-anh-dau-vao-gianh-hoc-bong-tien-si-o-my-20250527061253887.htm