Female student wins 8 billion VND scholarship with her project on conical hats from Chuong Village.

TPO - Overwhelmed with joy upon receiving an email at 5 AM, Nguyen Bui Hoa Ngan, a 12th-grade student specializing in English at the High School for Foreign Languages - University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, has successfully secured a place among the top 7% of students accepted into Colby College (USA) with a full scholarship worth up to 8 billion VND.

Báo Tiền Phong•14/12/2025

A moment of overwhelming happiness.

In the early morning of December 11th, amidst the quiet atmosphere of the dormitory, a joyful shout shattered the silence. It was the moment Nguyen Bui Hoa Ngan read her acceptance email from her dream school, Colby College, a top 24 college in the US.

Nguyen Bui Hoa Ngan, a 12th-grade student specializing in English at the High School for Foreign Languages, University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi , has just won a full scholarship from Colby College worth 8 billion VND. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

“I was so surprised and happy I burst into tears,” Ngân shared. Previously, fearing Ngân would lose sleep waiting for the results, her roommates had confiscated her phone. But when she woke up at 5 a.m., the student couldn't wait any longer. “When I received the news, I shouted so loudly that everyone in the room woke up. But everyone was happy and congratulated me. I called my mother five times before she finally answered because it was so early,” Ngân recounted emotionally.

An impressive resume and a unique startup project.

To impress the admissions committee of Colby College, one of the top universities in the United States, Hoa Ngan prepared an incredibly impressive application: GPA (3 years): 9.6; SAT score: 1540/1600; outstanding extracurricular activities: Head of organizing numerous projects and, notably, founder of a startup project deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture.

Ngan's passionate project stems from her love for her homeland, developing the traditional Chuong conical hat-making village from an economic and financial perspective. Under the guidance of Dr. Luong Xuan Duong from the University of Labour and Social Affairs, Ngan's group not only honors the culture but also creates sustainable values. The project successfully raised 30 million VND to support artisans, organized more than 3 conical hat-making experience tours for tourists, and published a scientific article in an international journal (IOSR-JHSS).

A profound essay on the power of listening.

A highlight of Ngan's application was her insightful personal essay. She wrote about an experience where she lost her voice while managing a project and realized the value of listening. This experience completely changed Ngan's perspective on the role of a leader – from someone who always "hoards" work to someone who knows how to listen, respect, and empower team members.

Ngan's team in the Chuong village conical hat project. Photo: Provided by the team.

Ngan's success would not have been possible without the support of three exceptional teachers: Mr. Nguyen Cong Viet Hung (Mathematics), Ms. Pham Hoai Thu (Physics), and Mr. Dang Ngoc Khuong (Literature). Their heartfelt letters of recommendation played a crucial role in making Ngan's application stand out. Mr. Hung wrote about his first student to receive a perfect score of 10.0 in Mathematics, acknowledging her hard work and the countless questions she had about why. Ms. Thu helped Ngan transform from fear of Physics to love it. Mr. Khuong introduced Ngan to the humanistic and cultural values of her nation. Another distinguishing feature of Ngan is her work: five poems about the conical hats of Chuong village, written in Vietnamese and translated into English; a music video about Quan Ho folk singing; and, most importantly, her personal journey to create a conical hat that embodies the distinctive spirit of Vietnamese women.

With such excellent results from Colby College, Ngan decided to withdraw her applications from the other nine universities she had applied to. "I want to give others a chance," Ngan shared.

For now, the talented female student's goal is to do well in the high school graduation exam and get accepted into her first-choice university - the Foreign Trade University, thus preparing a solid foundation for her study abroad journey this August.

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