"Steel Rose" valedictorian tells story of carrying guns and sandbags on marches

(Dan Tri) - When she was admitted to the Military Technical Academy, Ngo Thi Minh Thu weighed just over 40kg, and it was thought that she would not be strong enough to carry a gun and carry sandbags on the march. However, with great effort, Thu graduated as valedictorian in 2024.

Blistered feet from carrying guns and sandbags while running Ngo Thi Minh Thu (Binh Dinh), a student majoring in Data Analysis at the Military Technical Academy, has just graduated as valedictorian. Minh Thu was awarded the rank of Sergeant Major by the school at the graduation ceremony. Thu's overall GPA for the entire course was 8.52. During her school years, the female student received the Le Quy Don scholarship, type A and type B scholarships; 2 years she was awarded the title of Emulation Fighter at the grassroots level; 1 year she was awarded the title of Advanced Fighter. Thu also actively participates in scientific research with topics related to information technology, winning first prize at the Hackathon JunctionX Hanoi 2023.

Thu and her classmates at the Academy (Photo: M. Thu).

The female student also actively participates in the Youth Union, holds the role of Secretary of the Youth Union and Party Committee member of Company 155, and was awarded the title of "Outstanding Youth Union Officer" by the Academy for 3 consecutive years along with many certificates of merit for emulation activities, cultural and artistic movements, and voluntary blood donation. Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Minh Thu said that she had passed the Foreign Economics major, University of Economics and Law (Ho Chi Minh City National University). Both parents are farmers, raising all 3 sisters to study very hard, if they continued to study at a civilian school, it would be a huge burden for the family. Thinking so, she decided to drop out of the University of Economics and Law, choosing to retake the exam to enter a military school. With 26.5 points in block A1, from Binh Dinh, Minh Thu went back to Hanoi, joining the Military Technical Academy. "For the first 6 months, I was really shocked because the weather in the North was too cold, the food was unfamiliar, I missed home and especially the harsh rookie training. At that time, my weight was just over 40kg. Every day, we had to hoe the land, water the vegetables, carry sandbags of about 15kg on our shoulders, not to mention guns, and run 5-6km until our feet were blistered. The first days of training were so hard, I was discouraged, but the food the army provided was good, we gradually got used to the intensity of the training and gained a little weight," Thu humorously said. It is known that in the first 6 months, the training mainly took place on the training ground. Thu and her friends participated in marching, shooting practice, and learning tactics. The sweat shed on the training ground during this time helped Thu and the students appreciate the profession they had chosen even more.

"Rare steel rose" According to the school representative, out of 376 students of the 55th military engineering course this year, there are 30 female students. The proportion of female students when enrolling in the academy every year is not more than 10%. Because the number of female students is very small, the entrance score for female students is very high. Therefore, achieving the top result is a huge effort for female students like Minh Thu. Minh Thu said that the first years of general education were "easy". When entering the data analysis major, having to study subjects she had never encountered before, she continued to be "shocked". "I am not a smart person, I have to try hard in my studies, but I always keep in mind that I have to be serious and try my best. In class, I pay attention to the lectures, carefully take notes of the main ideas that the teachers emphasize. I often ask for lecture slides to study in advance, and at the same time search for related information and documents on the internet to understand the knowledge more deeply and broadly.

With outstanding efforts, Thu graduated as valedictorian in 2024 (Photo: My Ha).

With the assigned exercises, I always start by carefully studying the requirements of the topic and outlining the direction to do it, arranging a reasonable time to complete it seriously and completely," Thu said. However, after a period of "burying my head" in studying hard, Thu suddenly realized that if I study too much without ensuring my health, it seems to have the opposite effect. Therefore, Thu rebuilt her study path, studying moderately but grasping the knowledge in a focused manner, spending time on sports practice, protecting my health to absorb the lessons effectively the next day. It is known that after graduating, Thu was assigned to the Cyber ​​​​Warfare Command (Command 86). This is a subordinate unit, helping the Ministry of National Defense perform the function of State management of protecting national sovereignty in cyberspace and information technology. "With the knowledge I have been trained in information technology, big data analysis and AI knowledge..., combined with practical experience in the unit, I am determined to complete all tasks well. assigned", Minh Thu shared.

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/bong-hong-thep-thu-khoa-ke-chuyen-mang-sung-vac-bao-cat-hanh-quan-20241227113505209.htm