Valedictorian of University of Social Sciences and Humanities: The journey from starting over to spreading the love for Vietnam

Having retaken the university entrance exam after a one-year gap, Nguyen Lam Duy Bao – a student of the 2021-2025 cohort, never expected that such a restart would lead him to become the first valedictorian of the Vietnamese Studies program (University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City). To Bao, the valedictorian title is not an endpoint, but the beginning of a responsibility to spread the love for Vietnamese culture and people.

Upon receiving the news that he had become the first valedictorian of the Vietnamese Studies program with a GPA of 8.66, Duy Bao said it was a moment of great emotion and gratitude. The valedictorian expressed his thanks to himself, his family, friends, and teachers – the great pillars of support who trusted and accompanied him throughout the last four years – a journey he calls "pressure creates diamonds".

Before becoming valedictorian, Bao was a candidate who retook the exam after a year of being "lost". Failure did not make him back down; on the contrary, it was the moment Bao decided to start over with a bold choice – Vietnamese Studies, a major that many people consider "specialized and uncommon". But to Bao, this is the path that helps him understand more deeply about his homeland, Vietnamese culture, and its people with the spirit of "learning to love, to understand, and to develop the country".

"Vietnamese Studies is not just about learning about Vietnam, but also a way to create a more developed Vietnam in the new era," Bao shared. It was this passion that helped him overcome the most difficult periods. The valedictorian remembers the time of online learning during the pandemic, when adapting to the university environment was full of surprises. As the class monitor, Bao did not just learn for himself, but also learned how to lead, connect, and share with his collective.

Throughout four years, the student's achievement record includes both academics and extracurricular activities: 6 consecutive semesters of receiving study encouragement scholarships, including 4 semesters as the top of his cohort; he was 1 of 10 students in the entire university to receive the Mitsubishi UFJ Foundation scholarship in 2023; and he also participated in many academic activities such as the Eureka Science Research Award 2024 or the Student Scientific Conference in 2025.

Duy Bao also participated as an MC, event editor, and volunteer at SOS Children's Village, accompanying the Ngoc Viet charity class (old District 12). Those experiences helped Bao understand more deeply the value of knowledge and compassion – two things he considers the foundation of a student in a cultural field.

Becoming the first graduating valedictorian of the Vietnamese Studies program is, for Bao, not a destination, but a reminder of responsibility. Bao emphasized that this is the starting step for a journey of spreading the Vietnamese Studies spirit: learning to love, to understand, and to contribute to the country. A deep understanding of Vietnamese culture and people helps students know how to tell the Vietnamese story in modern language, maintaining its identity while being accessible to international friends.

After graduating, Duy Bao plans to continue researching and teaching Vietnamese to foreigners, while also participating in cultural communication projects to tell stories about Vietnam in a vivid, modern, and accessible way. "Knowledge is only truly meaningful when it is used to serve the community," he emphasized, while affirming the view that students of Vietnamese Studies should not only acquire knowledge but also apply it to create a positive influence beyond the scope of the school.

From a student who once started over, Nguyen Lam Duy Bao has affirmed the bravery and spirit of endless learning of students of Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City – daring to dream and daring to pursue. Duy Bao's story is not just the journey of one valedictorian, but also a beautiful image of a generation of students: persistent in learning, creative in action, and always carrying in their hearts the aspiration to contribute to the country. Because to them, every journey of starting over can become a starting point for a great dream – when faith and effort are nurtured by a "Người Nhân văn" heart.

MINH THU – KHAC HIEU