Orphaned valedictorian chooses to study education so mother doesn't have to pay tuition

Yesterday, since she learned that she was the top candidate in the C00 group nationwide with a score of 29.75 (Literature 9.75; History 10; Geography 10), To Thi Dieu was very happy. The small house in village 3, Quang Thai commune, Quang Xuong district, Thanh Hoa always had people coming to congratulate her. Dieu is one of 19 candidates with the highest score in the C group of the 2024 high school graduation exam nationwide.

Ms. To Thi Nguyet (Dieu's mother), as usual, goes to Sam Son city early in the morning to do chores and wash dishes for restaurants and hotels, and doesn't return home until 10pm.

At 8am on July 17, when she received a call saying her child was the valedictorian of the country, Ms. Nguyet was very happy. “I asked the owner to let me take a day off and go home to my child immediately,” Ms. Nguyet said.

Female student To Thi Dieu chose the teaching profession with the hope that her mother would help with some of her living expenses. Photo: Tran Nghi

Dieu was born into a family that was not as fortunate as her peers. Dieu lost her father when she was in 3rd grade. She had to work alone, selling goods everywhere to support her two children's education.

Knowing her family's difficult circumstances, Dieu studied very hard and never asked her mother for anything. Instead, after school hours, she came home to help her mother with the housework.

“My child is very studious and is good at housework. I rarely see him going out. Sometimes when I see him studying late at night, I advise him to go to bed, but he still sits there studying. He said he will try to study hard, and later take the exam to become a teacher so that his mother won’t have to worry about tuition fees. That way, his mother will have less trouble. I said any school is fine, as long as he likes it, I will try to earn money to take care of the two of us,” the mother shared.

Dieu's small family home is always filled with laughter, with many people coming to share the joy. Photo: Tran Nghi

During 12 years of school, Dieu was an excellent student every year. Dieu also won second prize in Literature in the province at the junior high school level and encouragement prize in the province at the high school level.

Sharing her study tips, Dieu said: “Before going to class, I will prepare my lessons in the evening and read through tomorrow’s lesson. When I get to class, I listen to the teacher’s lecture, so I can memorize the lesson one more time. With this way of studying, I have covered the theory. When I get home, I look for exam questions and apply the knowledge I learned in class to practice the questions.”

Talking about the two subjects that got 10 points, History and Geography, Dieu was very happy. However, Dieu was not surprised, because before that, when looking up the official answers of the Ministry of Education and Training, she almost knew the result.

Dieu (middle) takes a graduation photo with friends (Photo: NVCC)

Dieu said that in addition to passing the competency assessment exam to Hanoi National University of Education, she also passed the pedagogical major of Da Nang University, Hue.

Talking about the reason for wanting to study pedagogy, Dieu shared: “My father passed away early, my mother worked hard to raise two children by herself, so I chose pedagogy to avoid paying tuition. Only then can I help my mother with some of her burden.”

Quang Xuong 4 High School where Dieu studies. Photo: Tran Nghi

Ms. Nguyen Thi He, homeroom teacher of class 12D1 - Quang Xuong 4 High School, said that Dieu is a very good and polite student. Although her family situation is difficult, her father passed away early, but she tries very hard to excel in her studies and school activities.

“What makes Dieu successful is her own efforts. We – the teachers – are just guides, but Dieu’s achievements are her own,” Ms. He shared.