Who is the brick-laying boy who got into Tsinghua University?
Lam Van Dong received the news of passing Thanh Hoa exam while he was laying bricks.
Lam Van Dong was born in a remote rural area in Yunnan, where transportation was inconvenient. His family's situation became even more difficult when his father, the main breadwinner in the family, suffered a work accident. His mother had to work as a heavy construction worker to earn money. To help his parents, Lam Van Dong also went to the bricklaying site every day. The skinny boy always diligently picked up the heavy, dusty stacks of bricks while his other friends could be normal students. But he did not neglect his studies because he always knew that this was the only way out for him and his family.
During his high school years, Lin Wandong never slept through the night. He woke up at 4am and went to bed around 1pm. His classmates called him a "bookworm" because he was always buried in books. Only he himself understood that every time he was distracted, he was further away from his dream.
In the summer of 2019, Lin Wandong, a candidate from Yunnan province, was admitted to Tsinghua University - China's number 1 school - with an excellent score of 713 points.
When he received the news, 19-year-old Lin Wandong was sweating profusely at the construction site. "The kid who moved bricks at the construction site has been admitted to Tsinghua University!" - everyone was shocked by this news.
The news spread, this inspiring story was widely reported by Chinese media and moved countless netizens. Lin Wandong also became the first person to be named and praised by the president of Tsinghua University at the opening ceremony.
But at the same time, some sarcastic voices also appeared online: "So what if I get 713 points, Tsinghua University is not paradise", "With such a background, passing Tsinghua is useless"...
Lam Van Dong as a student
Being admitted to Tsinghua University was just the beginning of pursuing his dream, and the cost of college was still a huge sum of money for Lin's family. Many nights, Lin Wandong could not sleep, and even thought about dropping out of school. Fortunately, at this time, he received news that he could apply for a student loan, as well as a subsidy for living expenses and accommodation during his studies. At the same time, the story of the "brick-laying boy who got into Tsinghua University" spread, attracting many benefactors to help his family.
In his classes at Tsinghua University, Lin Wandong continued to study hard, even though he had to live a very frugal life, often eating steamed buns and pickles for meals. He also faced an extremely difficult challenge. Because he majored in technology, Lin Wandong, a child from the mountains who had never been exposed to computers, had to work many times harder than his classmates to keep up. In addition, he actively participated in many student activities while still working part-time to earn money to cover his living expenses.
How is the "brick boy" now?
He gave up the easy path to contribute to his homeland.
After getting his Tsinghua degree, Lin Wandong had many opportunities to stay in the big city and make money. But he made a surprising decision.
In 2023, Lin Wandong applied for the civil service exam in his home province of Yunnan. This is a special civil service position, with scarce jobs and very strict selection criteria. In fact, in comparison, staying in school to pursue graduate studies or working in a company is much easier.
But even so, Lin Wandong became a member of the Kunming Municipal Party Committee Office in Yunnan Province. His workplace was his hometown, a mountainous region that accounted for 97% of the total area. This geographical location and harsh environment made people question Lin Wandong's strange decision even more: Why would a young man who graduated from Tsinghua University abandon the usual bright path and insist on returning to this barren and backward mountain?
Everyone felt that with Lam Van Dong's condition, working in an office in a big city and devoting himself to scientific research was the most suitable. But Lam Van Dong did not think that his choice to return to his hometown was wrong. He said that he was a son of the mountains, understood the hardships of the people and wanted to change the lives of his hometown.
Lam Van Dong's sacrifice and desire to contribute has made many people admire him. Lam Van Dong used his real actions to give an answer to the keyboard warriors who had mocked him before.
Lam Van Dong said: "Wealth and success are not what I desire. I want to become a small charcoal fire, burning silently but able to transmit warmth."
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