From an 'average' student, a male student from Ninh Binh province made a breakthrough to become the top student nationwide.

Doan Thai Minh, a 12th-grade student specializing in English at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted (Ninh Binh province), made a remarkable mark by becoming the top scorer in English at the national excellent student competition for the 2025-2026 school year.

According to the results of the 2025-2026 National High School Excellent Student Selection Exam, Doan Thai Minh achieved 16.8 points in English, becoming the top scorer nationwide. This impressive achievement is the result of serious study and continuous effort.

From "average" student to remarkable achievement

Minh shared that when checking her exam results, she couldn't believe it was hers, so she had to double-check and carefully compare her registration number to be sure. When she confirmed the results were correct, she was overwhelmed with joy.

“I didn't start out as an exceptionally gifted student in English. In my early years of junior high school, I didn't have any truly impressive achievements. In 9th grade, when I clearly identified my passion for the subject, I studied it more deeply and achieved positive results such as second prize in the provincial-level excellent student competition and a silver medal in the national-level Internet English Olympiad (IOE). But my biggest achievement was being admitted to the specialized English class at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted,” Minh shared.

Doan Thai Minh, a 12th-grade student specializing in English at Le Hong Phong High School for Gifted Students.

Minh added that her entrance exam results for Le Hong Phong Specialized High School were only "average" compared to the general standard. It wasn't until the summer after 10th grade that she decided to study English seriously and systematically, gradually rising to the top group and eventually reaching the highest position in her class.

In 11th grade, Minh excelled and won first prize in English at the provincial-level excellent student competition; and second prize in English at the national-level excellent student selection competition. Not stopping there, in 12th grade, he continued to win first prize in English at the provincial-level excellent student selection competition; and was the top scorer nationwide in English at the national-level excellent high school student selection competition for the 2025-2026 school year.

“After participating in the 11th grade exams and achieving quite high results, I temporarily stopped participating in the gifted student team to focus on preparing for the IELTS exam. Thanks to my prior foundation, I studied for about 1.5 months and achieved an IELTS score of 8.5. Then, in the 2025-2026 school year, I returned to the gifted student team and surpassed my previous year's achievement,” Minh shared.

"The starting point does not determine the destination."

Sharing her study methods, Minh said that she doesn't force herself to study too much, but makes sure she understands each topic thoroughly.

In class, Minh focuses on completing assignments and listening to the teachers' feedback. Every day, he spends about 2-3 hours in the evening studying, maintaining a habit of going to bed early and waking up early to read materials to stimulate his thinking.

Minh honed his English skills evenly through regular communication with friends and teachers; reading English newspapers to expand his vocabulary and analytical thinking; and persistently practicing writing over many years.

“From 10th to 12th grade, I wrote nearly 300 essays. In my opinion, this is a long process; progress doesn't happen overnight. There were even times when I doubted the effectiveness of my practice, but I persevered,” Minh said.

Minh is always willing to share his knowledge with his peers and younger students.

Minh said that the skill that helped her improve significantly was the ability to self-assess her work. After each essay, she reviews her arguments and edits any unnecessary paragraphs to make her writing more concise. Minh developed this skill by observing how her teachers commented on and graded her work, helping her gradually learn to self-assess and correct her own work to improve herself.

With her top national ranking, Minh was admitted directly to several universities. She plans to study at the University of Foreign Languages ​​- Vietnam National University, Hanoi , and further aspire to pursue a PhD and become a university lecturer, contributing to the popularization and improvement of English language teaching quality.

“The starting point doesn’t determine the destination. With genuine passion, perseverance, and unwavering effort, everyone can break through their limitations and become a better version of themselves,” Minh said. It’s a simple yet inspiring message, perfectly reflecting his own journey.

Mr. Tran Xuan Binh, Head of the English gifted student team, Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted (on the left).

According to Mr. Tran Xuan Binh, head of the English gifted student team at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, Minh has a serious attitude towards learning, is passionate about the subject, and always puts pressure on himself to surpass his own limits and constantly strive for breakthroughs.

Despite winning second prize in English at the national excellent student selection exam in 11th grade, Minh always sets higher goals to strive for. Even more commendable, Minh not only studies for himself but is also willing to share his knowledge with his teammates. He proactively designs exercises for the whole group to practice together, supporting his teammates and younger students in their learning process.

"There were times when I felt she was like a colleague. She shared her knowledge with her friends, and even exchanged ideas with me. I myself learned a lot from Minh," Mr. Binh said.

According to Mr. Pham Thanh Ngoc, Principal of Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, in the 2025-2026 National High School Student Excellence Competition, Ninh Binh province had 238 award-winning students, ranking second nationwide in the total number of awards. Of these, Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted had 115 award-winning students out of 141 participating students. Notably, many teams achieved very high award rates, notably Physics and English, where 100% of participating students won awards. The school also has 7 students who have been selected by the Ministry of Education and Training to participate in the 2026 Olympic team selection competition.

According to Mr. Ngoc, this is a proud achievement, reflecting the sustainability of the advanced training strategy, the continuity between generations of students, and the increasingly strong academic character of students at Le Hong Phong Specialized High School.

“The school always implements the identification and nurturing of gifted students in a way that is interconnected, builds upon previous achievements, and expands on existing knowledge. Students are identified early, starting from the junior high school level, and receive long-term training, developing their thinking skills, self-study methods, and research abilities, instead of just focusing on exam preparation or test-taking techniques. Our strategy is to build a continuous flow of talent, rather than waiting for random breakthroughs,” Mr. Ngoc said.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tu-hoc-sinh-tam-trung-nam-sinh-ninh-binh-but-pha-thanh-thu-khoa-toan-quoc-2484332.html