Cao Lan ethnic male student, 7.5 IELTS, second prize in national math, loves Chopin's music

(Dan Tri) - Nguyen Tien Trien - a male student of Cao Lan ethnic group - is one of 125 outstanding ethnic minority students honored in 2024 for his excellent academic achievements.

Nguyen Tien Trien is a 12th grade math student at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted. Trien's father is Cao Lan and his mother is Tay. He was born in Yen Son district and moved to the city to live with his parents when he was 3 years old.

Trien was a good student since he was young. In secondary school, he was admitted to the prestigious school of Tuyen Quang city - Le Quy Don Secondary School. Here, Trien met teacher Tran Quang Ha - the person who inspired and instilled in him a passion for mathematics.

Trien shared that one of his teacher's sayings that he always remembers and considers as his study secret is: "Just do the basics firmly so that the higher you go, the more stable you will be."

Nguyen Tien Trien - 12th grade math student at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted (Photo: NVCC).

Under the guidance of Mr. Ha, Trien won first prize in math in the Tuyen Quang province's excellent student competition in grade 9. This achievement helped Trien enter a specialized school directly.

At Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, Trien was "inspired" by teacher Luong Ngoc Huyen. To win a spot on the national math team, Trien not only had to compete with his classmates but also with students majoring in physics, chemistry, and information technology.

I read books by myself to learn the knowledge of grades 11 and 12 in advance. If I don't understand any lesson, I ask my teachers and seniors. As a result, Trien continued to pass the exam to select the team, becoming the only 10th grade student to pass the 12th grade math exam in the province in the 2022-2023 school year.

However, in this attempt, Trien failed.

"Failing the national exam made me feel extremely disappointed. However, thanks to the encouragement of teachers and friends, I was determined to stand up and strive to improve myself.

I asked my seniors to help me with my weak knowledge, especially the knowledge I could not solve in the national exam.

I also searched for review materials from many sources, on math forums, and math websites both domestically and internationally. This helped me learn math and English at the same time," Trien confided.

In the 2023-2024 school year, he competed in the national competition for the second time and achieved his dream with the second prize. At the end of December, he competed in the national competition for the third time. Trien hopes to win the first prize and enter the selection round for the international competition team.

Trien has included his journey to the national excellent student competition in his essay for the National University of Singapore scholarship application. Currently, in addition to reviewing for the high school graduation exam, Trien is also preparing to meet the needs of studying abroad.

I participate in many extracurricular activities, from initiating a math club to teach free math to primary and secondary school students and grade 9 students preparing for the 10th grade entrance exam to youth union work, cleaning the streets, helping lonely elderly people and children in difficult circumstances.

Nguyen Tien Trien studied English completely on his own and achieved IELTS 7.5 (Photo: NVCC).

In particular, Trien studied English completely by himself. He used free online learning resources to reinforce his vocabulary and grammar, asked for documents and exam questions from seniors to practice, and chatted with foreign friends on math forums to practice speaking. Thanks to that, Trien got 7.5 in the IELTS test.

The male student also said that since high school, he has not spent a penny on extra classes. Even with math, Trien only plays for the school team and studies at home. Whenever he wants to relax or needs more excitement for studying, Trien will listen to classical music. He often listens to Chopin and also learns about classical music on art forums.

Talking about his Cao Lan ethnic group, Trien expressed his pride. Although he does not live in Yen Son, Trien's parents let him return to his hometown many times a year. Every year, Trien celebrates Tet in his hometown with his grandparents and relatives. For Trien, the Cao Lan people's Tet is a warm reunion of the whole family and community.

"What makes me more attached to my people is the care that the whole community gives to each individual. When I achieved high academic results, I received many inquiries, congratulations and gifts from people in my hometown, even though they did not have better conditions than my family.

I also love wearing my ethnic traditional costume every time I go back to my hometown to attend festivals. It is a simple and modest outfit, showing the typical personality of Cao Lan men," Trien shared.

In the future, if admitted to the National University of Singapore, Trien plans to pursue information technology.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nam-sinh-dan-toc-cao-lan-75-ielts-giai-nhi-toan-quoc-gia-me-nhac-chopin-20250104001823979.htm