The extraordinary willpower of the 'student father'

Events

Nguyen Phuc Son's journey to becoming the top student is a real-life fairy tale, written with extraordinary perseverance. Son is the second of three siblings. His parents separated when he was only two years old. His mother had to struggle to make a living on her own. The three siblings grew up under the loving care of their maternal grandmother.

Nguyen Phuc Son, a student from cohort K47 ( Hanoi Pedagogical University 2), defended his graduation thesis alongside his seniors from cohort K46.

The most vivid memory from Son's childhood is the poverty certificate that remained with his family throughout his 12 years of schooling. Despite his hardships, Son was very studious, especially passionate about English. The poor boy often borrowed old books from friends, diligently practicing vocabulary and sentence structures. Thanks to this, Son consistently achieved excellent results and often represented his school in academic competitions, winning numerous awards.

Nguyen Phuc Son and his young nephew on the occasion of his university graduation.

When Son was in 11th grade, tragedy struck. His eldest sister became pregnant and gave birth unexpectedly. More than two weeks after giving birth, she left, abandoning her newborn son to be cared for by his grandmother. From then on, in their small house in the countryside of Thanh Hoa , the image of a schoolboy cradling his nephew, rocking him to sleep while studying, became a familiar sight.

“There were nights when my grandchild had a fever, and I had to stay up all night watching over him, still going to class in the morning. During the university entrance exam preparation period, many nights I held my grandchild in one arm while studying with the other, it was exhausting. But thinking of my wife and grandchild, I didn't allow myself to give up,” Sơn recounted.

“Nguyen Phuc Son is a student from a particularly difficult background, but he possesses extraordinary willpower, a compassionate heart, and exceptional intelligence. Instead of feeling inferior or blaming his circumstances, Son always chooses to strive his best. What impresses me most about Son is his serious, proactive, and creative approach to learning. In class, he is always actively participating, proactively researching materials, and asking many insightful questions.”
Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Nhat, Head of the English Department, Hanoi Pedagogical University 2

Driven by a desire to escape poverty through education, in 2019, Son excelled in his studies and was admitted to the Foreign Trade University, Ho Chi Minh City campus, majoring in International Economics . However, just two months after enrollment, his grandmother, whom he considered his "second mother," passed away. This loss caused his world to collapse. "She was the only support for the three of us siblings. At that time, my nephew was just over a year old, everything was so uncertain and directionless," Son recalled.

Faced with such a devastating event, Son had to put aside his dream of attending university and return to his hometown to become the breadwinner for his family. The burden of providing for the family fell heavily on his young shoulders. Son took on various odd jobs to help his mother support the family and care for his young nephew. He had previously worked in Hanoi, saving every penny to help his family. However, the COVID-19 pandemic intensified in 2020 and 2021, making it impossible for him to find work. Under immense pressure to make ends meet, Son even applied for overseas employment, hoping to find a different path forward.

Then, by chance, he came across the admission information for Hanoi Pedagogical University 2. Knowing that pedagogical students were exempt from tuition fees and received support under Decree 116, Son felt like he had "found the light at the end of the tunnel." "When I read this information, I was overjoyed, thinking to myself: perhaps this is my last chance to continue my education. I applied to Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 and was fortunate enough to be accepted. My dream of becoming a university student had come true," Son recounted emotionally.

Accompanying my grandchild to the lecture hall.

On the day before leaving for university, Son faced a difficult decision about the fate of his young nephew. “Who will take care of my nephew at home? My mother works as a laborer to support my younger sister, and she’s often sick and hospitalized. If I go to university, who will take care of him?”

That question kept Son awake for many nights. Finally, he made a bold decision: to take his nephew to Vinh Phuc so he could study and take care of him at the same time. In 2021, 20-year-old Nguyen Phuc Son and his 4-year-old nephew left their hometown to start school, carrying with them many worries and the dreams and aspirations of youth.

Son rented a small room near the school, beginning his life as a "student dad," embarking on a challenging journey of being both a father, a mother, and an older brother to his nephew. Son's student days were a long, relentless cycle. Every morning, he would wake up early to prepare breakfast and take his nephew to preschool. At lunchtime, his nephew attended school, and Son would ask the teacher to let him stay until 6-7 pm so he could tutor. "Many nights, after picking him up late, we'd eat until we were exhausted, and both of us would fall asleep without realizing it," Son recalled.

Initially, the story of the "student father" bringing his young child to school caused much gossip and discussion. But once they understood Son's situation, his teachers and friends sympathized, shared their feelings, and pitched in to help. Son was fortunate to have a close group of friends who were always ready to support him, taking turns looking after his child when he was busy studying or working part-time.

Once, during a two-week military training course, Son had to leave his nephew with a friend. However, things weren't always smooth sailing. On many days when the kindergarten was unexpectedly closed, Son had to bring his nephew to the lecture hall. The child would sit quietly beside him, playing with small toys or drawing while Son took notes. "He's been taught independence from a young age, so he's very well-behaved, doesn't cry or make noise. The teachers all love him and make things easy for the two of us," Son recounted.

In the eyes of his friends, the image of the skinny student, with a backpack on one side and his nephew on the other, had become familiar. They jokingly called the child Sơn's "attachment," because he took the baby with him wherever he went.

Sowing the seeds of knowledge in impoverished land.

From the very beginning of his studies, Son set a goal to graduate as quickly as possible to reduce the financial burden. To graduate early, in some semesters Son registered for up to 14-15 courses, studying continuously from Monday to Sunday.

Son also participates in scientific research. His research project, "Applying the Write&Improve automated essay evaluation software to improve English writing skills for disadvantaged students," was undertaken solely by him. “There were times when I was exhausted and wanted to give up, wondering if it was necessary. But then I thought about the 5 million VND prize money if the project was approved. For me, that's a large sum for the two of us. So I threw myself back into studying and researching,” Son recounted.

As a result, the project helped him win first prize at the Faculty level, first prize at the University level, and was honored with an Encouragement Award at the Ministry level.

Son set a goal to achieve high grades to win a scholarship. He achieved excellent grades in all six semesters and graduated three years early, instead of the required four years. "For others, a scholarship might just be an encouragement to study, but for me, it's an additional source of funding to cover living expenses, so I have to try my best in my studies," Son said.

In November 2024, Nguyen Phuc Son officially graduated with honors as valedictorian from Hanoi Pedagogical University 2, with a GPA of 3.81/4.0 and a training score of 93/100. Son is also the author of two scientific papers that received points from the State Council of Professors, the principal investigator of two university-level research projects, a co-author of a presentation at the VietTESOL 2024 International Conference; and won second prize nationwide in the "Teachers in My Eyes" competition.

Immediately after graduating, Son received many attractive job offers from schools in Hanoi. But instead of choosing to stay in the city with a stable income, he decided to return to the countryside to begin his journey of teaching. Currently, Son is an English teacher at An Hoa Secondary School (Trang Bang town, Tay Ninh province).

"I experienced a deprived childhood and longed to learn a foreign language but lacked the means. Therefore, I want to return to teach in rural areas, so that students here have more opportunities to access English, nurture their dreams, and confidently reach out to the world," Son said.

For Son, the title of outstanding valedictorian is not only a source of pride, but also a responsibility for a young teacher who has overcome hardships and now returns to sow the seeds of knowledge, inspiring young sprouts to grow from impoverished land, through his own story of perseverance.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhung-thu-khoa-xuat-sac-truyen-cam-hung-bai-4-nghi-luc-phi-thuong-cua-ong-bo-sinh-vien-post1795680.tpo