(Dan Tri) - Having difficulty in communication and movement, Nguyen Thien Quang - a third-year student at British University Vietnam (BUV) does not consider it a disadvantage. On the contrary, it becomes a motivation, pushing him to realize his dream.
When Disability Fuels Dreams
Communication is somewhat difficult but the smile always present on the lips is a familiar image of the excellent student Nguyen Thien Quang. When interacting, you can feel how much effort Quang has put into every gesture and word to make the other person understand.
Thien Quang is not afraid to mention his shortcomings, because these limitations in communication and movement are the consequences of birth asphyxia, which Quang has had since birth. Quang does not use that as a reason to feel inferior or limit himself.
Starting in 8th grade, Quang was exposed to computers to support his studies and to explore and learn about programming. At that time, although lacking direction, Quang still felt that technology opened up limitless potential, helping him connect with people and his dreams more closely than ever.
Thien Quang received the Academic Merit Award 4 times - an award given to students with the highest scores in each semester.
Through volunteering at a rehabilitation center for the disabled, Quang sympathized and felt luckier than many others. This was also when Quang discovered that in developed countries, the use of robots and speech assistive devices to support the disabled had become popular.
The 13-year-old boy at that time had a passion for applying technology to support Vietnamese children in difficult circumstances like himself. Quang shared his personal story in his scholarship application essay and these inspirational lines contributed to helping Quang become the Champion of the British Ambassador Scholarship of British University Vietnam (BUV) 2022 with a 100% scholarship.
Thien Quang's familiar image is always present with a smile on his lips.
He chose Computer Science and believed that the UK standard Computer Science program could be the launching pad to help him get closer to his dream.
However, Thien Quang's journey to BUV was not easy. There were times when he hesitated with the scholarship application in hand, but his parents constantly encouraged Thien Quang to strive. "My parents said: Just do it, there is nothing to lose. Even if you lose, you will gain experience. That is the guiding principle for me to strive to participate in many activities and change myself," Thien Quang shared.
The courage to break through limits
Quang's fortitude has been further strengthened and strengthened throughout his years at BUV. Thien Quang's long list of achievements is a testament to the 21-year-old's tireless efforts: Head of the Academic Committee of the BUV Student Council for the 2023-2024 term, a four-time Merits Award for Academic Excellence recipient, and most recently, the gold medal at the Global Startup Design Thinking Hackathon 2024 in September.
The idea of "SpeakEase" - an application that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to support children with language difficulties to communicate with their parents - won an international competition that meant a lot to Quang. Having nurtured the project for a year before entering the competition, Quang researched every tool to make the idea more feasible. Thien Quang successfully built a portrait of the end user for SpeakEase, convincing the judges about the feasibility of the project.
Thien Quang (middle) and his teammates won the gold medal at the Global Startup Design Thinking Hackathon 2024 in Korea.
"I think children with disabilities should be cared for, understood, and given equal opportunities to connect like their peers. I also hope that the group's solution can help parents with children with language difficulties in some way in their journey to connect with their children," Thien Quang shared.
With that in mind, Quang is still perfecting SpeakEase and is nurturing research into applying a pure Vietnamese large language model to support disadvantaged children in Vietnam. In the near future, Quang plans to organize a Hackathon competition on technology startups right at BUV with his friends, inheriting the good points of the program he participated in. "Be more daring because the experiences of stepping out of your comfort zone will be proportional to the knowledge you learn," Quang advised.
Quang's story is the inspiration for scholarship programs at BUV such as the UK Ambassador Scholarship to be maintained over many years of study.
The UK Ambassador Scholarship is a full scholarship program named after the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Vietnam. In 2025, the program awards 4 prestigious full scholarships to the most outstanding candidates from high schools nationwide.
With the mission of providing opportunities to study and obtain a British bachelor's degree in an international educational environment in Vietnam, BUV motivates the young generation of talents through scholarships and financial support, helping them develop, create opportunities for themselves and contribute to society.
Find out more information about the BUV scholarship program at: BUV Scholarship Fund 2025.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/lay-khiem-khuet-lam-dong-luc-giup-do-cong-dong-nam-sinh-vien-viet-nhan-giai-thuong-quoc-te-20241227160108727.htm
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