Talking about the attic above his father's auto repair shop, a male student won a 9.1 billion VND US scholarship

The effort to arrange a dormitory and ask for permission to move to another house was also a source of inspiration for Nguyen Tien to win a scholarship of 360,000 USD to attend the University of California.

Nguyen Tien Dat (born in 2006 in Hanoi), graduated with honors from Giang Vo Secondary School, won a 100% scholarship to study at the United Nations International School Hanoi (UNIS Hanoi). Being in an international environment, Dat used English 100% and had contact with friends all over the world, which ignited the dream of studying abroad in this poor student.

“Although I never went to university, my parents always put a high value on education. They always tried their best, borrowed money and worked hard to support me,” Dat confided.

The small attic above dad's auto repair shop

Nguyen Tien Dat, student at United Nations International School Hanoi.

The male student always remembers what his parents told him: "Studying is the shortest path to success". This is also the biggest motivation for him to try hard every day. The letter announcing the 9.1 billion VND scholarship from Franklin & Marshall College, USA at the end of February was a big gift Tien Dat gave to his parents.

The scholarship covers tuition, living expenses, accommodation, and study materials. With this support, Dat's parents only have to pay 3,000 USD (76 million VND) per year to help their son realize his dream of studying in the US. Not only that, Dat also won full scholarships from 3 other universities: Chinese University of Hong Kong - CUHK, Hong Kong Polytechnic University - PolyU and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - HKUST. Tien Dat chose the US as his destination because it has a liberal education and many job opportunities after graduation. Franklin & Marshall's acceptance rate is only 36%.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong - Tien Dat's mother said that the whole family burst into tears with her son when he reached the first milestone of conquering his dream. "Dat has been understanding, independent and loved his parents since he was young. Growing up in a situation where all 4 family members lived together in a small attic above his father's auto repair shop, he always had a strong sense of learning and determination to succeed," she shared.

In his 650-word essay to an American university, Tien Dat told about his background and his special house in the heart of Hanoi. An attic with plywood walls, a roof built loosely on the house next door, furniture and belongings collected or borrowed from other people's discarded old things. Downstairs is where Dat's father repaired motorbikes, with a jumble of new and old spare parts.

Tien Dat (left) with his teacher and friends at a math workshop at Giang Vo Secondary School, October 2023.

Instead of complaining about the cramped and inconvenient situation, Tien Dat mentioned that the temporary attic is a beloved home, the place where he was born and raised, where all his big dreams were nurtured by the boundless love of his parents. Also because his father worked as a car mechanic, Dat was open in personality because of his habit of chatting with customers who came to the shop when his father was busy.

The inspiration for this essay has been in Tien Dat’s mind for a long time and it took him 4 months to complete the final version after dozens of writings and revisions. “I have always thought about my family’s house and garage since I was a child and always considered it a part of who I am,” Dat said.

From the moment he read the first essay question out of 10 that American schools gave, the male student was determined to write about his home.

Unique learning method

During his preparation for studying abroad, Tien Dat's biggest challenge was balancing his grades and extracurricular activities. Many days he lost his appetite and sleep to concentrate on studying for the exam, suffering from stomach pain and anorexia due to the pressure of his grades. There were times when Tien Dat wanted to give up, but remembering his family's situation and his parents' advice, he wanted to continue.

During that process, Dat discovered and effectively applied the Pomodoro method. By studying for 25 minutes and taking a 5-minute break continuously, he was able to concentrate for many hours at a time. There were days when Dat spent 6-7 hours studying and still achieved good results thanks to this method.

Thanks to that, Tien Dat got an IB (International Baccalaureate) score of 44/45, a standardized SAT score of 1470/1600 and a Duolingo English score of 150/160. Being a good student in Math since middle school, Dat often had his neighbors send their children over for tutoring, and the attic became a free classroom. There were also regular customers who asked Dat to tutor them, so he had more money to help his parents.

At school, Dat founded a Math Club of 10 friends to provide free tutoring for elementary and middle school students after school hours, twice a week. Dat also works as a teaching assistant for teachers in high school Math classes. In addition, Dat and his classmates founded the Guiding Stars volunteer club to teach Math online, raise funds to support children with disabilities, and have helped a child born blind in Bac Ninh go to school and learn to read.

Tien Dat also equipped himself with a critical spirit before coming to the American liberal education system. The male student has experience in debating and participated in 5 United Nations simulation meetings within 3 years of high school. Tien Dat was selected by the school to attend a meeting in Laos with international friends. In this meeting, he represented Vietnam to discuss issues related to sustainable development with friends representing other countries. In addition to studying, Dat often plays basketball and music to relieve stress.

Dat and members of the Guiding Stars volunteer club participate in fundraising to support disabled children, October 2024.

Dr. Jeff Leppard, Principal of the United Nations International School of Hanoi, assessed that Dat demonstrated intelligence, diligence and passion for knowledge discovery throughout his years at the school. Not only excelling in his studies, Dat also left a deep impression through his contributions to the community.

“As an active member of the Learning in the Community program at Huong La Charity House – an orphanage a few hours away from Hanoi, where many young children have physical difficulties, mainly cerebral palsy, Dat constantly strives to support children with disabilities, which demonstrates compassion, sharing, dedication and leadership,” said Mr. Jeff Leppard.

Mr. Daniel Nguyen, a school counselor at UNIS Hanoi, said that witnessing Dat - an excellent student from a difficult background, knowing how to seize his opportunities, he was extremely proud.

“Dat has a unique ability to bring people together. Whether in the classroom, on the basketball court, or in student-led activities, he demonstrates empathy, intelligence, and integrity as a leader,” Mr. Deniel wrote in his letter of recommendation.

This August, Dat will leave for the United States, planning to study Mathematics or Public Health at Franklin & Marshall College. Dat's biggest dream is to build a large-scale scholarship fund to invest in talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Another dream of Dat is to be able to buy back the house where his family lives. “So that this place filled with car horns, the smell of grease and filled with peaceful memories will become a part of my family forever,” Dat confided.

Le Thu

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ke-ve-can-gac-xep-tren-tiem-sua-xe-cua-bo-nam-sinh-am-hoc-bong-my-9-1-ty-dong-ar929965.html