From childhood orange tree to 16 billion VND scholarship

GD&TĐ - Nguyen Phuc Luong - a 12th grade Math 1 student at Ha Tinh High School for the Gifted has won over 16 billion VND in full scholarships from 3 American universities.

Nguyen Phuc Luong - 12th grade Math 1 student, Ha Tinh Specialized High School.

Persistent effort

Nguyen Phuc Luong made his mark when he simultaneously received scholarships and full financial support from three prestigious universities in the US: University of Alabama, University of Tulsa and Duke Kunshan University. The total value of the scholarships for 4 years of study at the three schools was more than 16 billion VND.

As of mid-May, Phuc Luong received acceptance letters from 12 universities in the US, many of which have outstanding training quality and international learning environments.

The scholarships that the schools offer range from 3 to 6 billion VND, depending on the program and major. Of these, the three universities mentioned above have announced full scholarships, including all tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses.

The most special thing from the University of Tulsa - a school in the top 20 STEM universities in the US is that Phuc Luong received a congratulatory letter directly from President Brad Carson - former Deputy Secretary of Defense of the United States. This is a testament to the school's recognition of the learning journey and persistent efforts of the young man from the Central region.

Born and raised in Ky Phuong commune, a poor rural area of ​​Ha Tinh province, Nguyen Phuc Luong is the eldest son in a family of teachers. When Luong was in junior high school, his family moved to Ha Tinh city.

According to his family, Phuc Luong showed an early talent for Math and a passion for numbers. In second grade, his mother bought Luong some reference books on Math and just a few days later, Luong had read and done all the exercises in them. Surprised and delighted by his ability, Luong's parents created more conditions for him to develop his abilities and strengths.

Luong once shared that, for him, each math problem is like an intellectual game, full of attraction and fascination. Since middle school, he has actively sought to learn through books and excellent student forums along with his parents' dedicated guidance. That is also the foundation that helps Luong gradually conquer the excellent student exams and become the valedictorian of grade 10 at Ha Tinh Specialized High School in the 2022-2023 school year with a total score of 57.75, of which the Math score is almost absolute (9.75).

Proudly, Luong's younger sister - Nguyen Khue Trang also followed in his footsteps when she became the valedictorian of the Physics major in the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2024-2025 school year, with a score of 54.5.

Family - the foundation that fueled the passion for Mathematics of the two brothers.

“Orange tree and sweet fruit seasons

The highlight of Luong’s scholarship application is her personal essay titled “The Orange Tree and the Passion for Math.” In this essay, she does not hesitate to share about her difficult childhood, the days of studying without equipment, having to borrow old books, computers, etc.

But the image of the “orange tree” - associated with childhood memories - has become a symbol for the journey of success: “The orange tree may lose its leaves in winter, but in spring it sprouts, grows and bears sweet fruit. Me too, overcoming all challenges to conquer my dream”.

The essay not only demonstrates critical thinking and personal storytelling skills, but also reflects the spirit of continuous learning and overcoming difficulties, which many universities in the US highly value.

Grade 12 - a pivotal year, Luong had to complete three important tasks at the same time: Reviewing for the national math exam, standardized SAT and IELTS exams, and completing the application for a scholarship to study in the US - a complicated and high-pressure process.

Under the close guidance of teachers and with a strong will to self-study, Luong achieved an SAT score of 1,500/1,600, IELTS 7.5, second prize in the National Excellent Student in Mathematics, entered the top 25 nationwide and became one of three Ha Tinh students exempted from the high school graduation exam in 2024. He was also selected for the team participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad (TST) for the 2024-2025 school year.

However, that impressive academic achievement was only part of the journey to winning a scholarship. To be able to apply to 12 universities, Phuc Luong wrote 30 English essays in just 2 weeks, participated in many admission interviews at 1am (due to time zone differences), and even had to sit through lunch in the recruitment team room to complete his application on time.

Luong said: “The waiting time for the interview was very long, I had to arrange everything scientifically . The pressure was great, but those experiences helped me become more mature, know how to allocate time and maintain balance.”

Not only is Phuc Luong a good student, he is also active, passionate and has a sense of responsibility towards the community. He has been a keynote speaker at many educational events, participated in sharing learning experiences, career orientation, and helped thousands of secondary school students in remote areas through the activities of PEA Organization - a group of students founded by Ha Tinh High School for the Gifted.

In addition, the male student also participated in charity trips to donate books and organized STEAM Project summer camps for two consecutive years, contributing to spreading the love of science and the spirit of overcoming difficulties to many young people.

Phuc Luong is a member of the 2025 national math team of Ha Tinh.

Luong also loves to play

guitar, reading books, always keeping a positive attitude. She once shared: “Computer science and technology play a big role in modern life. I hope in the future I can research or create a product or platform that is valuable to the community.”

Sharing his future plans, Nguyen Phuc Luong said he will study Computer Science at one of the three schools offering full scholarships. For him, this is not only his favorite major, but also a field that can create positive impacts on society.

Mr. Tran Dinh Huu - homeroom teacher of Grade 12 Math 1, proudly commented: "Luong always has a clear learning orientation. He is not only good but also humble, knows how to overcome challenges and spreads the learning spirit to his friends. I believe he will continue to develop when studying at top universities in the US and one day soon will return to contribute to his homeland."

Some of Phuc Luong's outstanding achievements in 12 years of study: Gold Medal in the Young Mathematical Talent Search (MYTS) organized by the Vietnam Mathematical Society (grade 6); Gold Medal in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) in grade 7; Silver Medal in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) in grade 8; Valedictorian in Math at the city and provincial levels (grade 9); First prize in the provincial World Office Skills Competition (MOS) in grade 9...

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/tu-cay-cam-tuoi-tho-den-hoc-bong-16-ty-dong-post734963.html