Le Huynh Duc on the train participating in the 2024 Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program - Photo: NVCC

The 27-year-old English teacher believes that life is not always fair. What is important is that each person knows how to stand up from a fall, constantly learn and strive to change their life.

I always believe that each of us has our own mission in life. My mission is to inspire, share love and help people who have been through difficult times like me.

LE HUYNH DUC

"Rise from the mud"

Duc's memory is a piece pieced together through the stories of those around him. It was a winter night, he was left in front of the gate of SOS Children's Village Vinh. The only thing he brought with him was a crumpled piece of paper with the scrawled words "I am 20 days old".

The boy was taken care of by his adoptive mother Le Thi Dan and SOS Children's Village Vinh. The name Le Huynh Duc is a combination of Dan's mother's last name and the name of a famous football player.

Duc’s health was not as stable as his friends’. His childhood was filled with more hospitals, needles and medicine than toys. Many days, watching his friends run and play, Duc said he felt a little sad.

His adoptive mother, Le Thi Dan (75 years old), said that when he was in elementary school, Duc was often teased for being an orphan, but he felt so bad that he didn't dare tell anyone. Then one day, as if the water had broken, Duc shouted to his friends: "I have a mother, my mother is Le Thi Dan. Even though she didn't give birth to me, she raised me and taught me not to make fun of other people's circumstances."

That was the story told by the teacher, making Dan's mother both sad because her child was teased and never told, but also happy because her child had grown up.

Le Huynh Duc

I can say that I came from the bottom of society, in a muddy puddle. The only way for me to go is to "rise up" from the mud to bloom.

And Duc studied hard. He received the Odon Vallet scholarship dozens of times from high school to university, a scholarship from the New Zealand Education Agency, and a $20,000 scholarship from the University of Auckland Vietnam Excellence Scholarship for the "Master of TESOL" program.

Following her son's journey, Dan's mother was moved: "I have no material things. Good children like Huynh Duc are my most valuable assets. My son's success comes from his own tireless efforts, making me even more proud."

A new chapter in life with the dream of becoming an English teacher

Duc has loved and had a talent for English since he was a child, dreaming of becoming a teacher. However, in village schools, there were not enough books, so he only focused on learning grammar and vocabulary, and did not have the opportunity to access all four skills when learning English.

Duc graduated with honors in international business from the University of Economics (University of Danang), graduating right when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Although there were some difficulties, it was a quiet moment for Duc to find the answer to the question "Who am I, what is my mission?". And his dream of becoming a teacher seemed to awaken. Duc knew he was suitable for that job.

Duc has registered to study the Master of TESOL and FLT program of Hanoi University in conjunction with the University of Canberra (Australia), specializing in theoretical and teaching methods of English to prepare for the new journey.

For Duc, teaching is not simply about imparting knowledge but also about igniting passion, awakening potential, and giving wings to dreams for learners.

Establishing Huynh Duc IELTS Center, he designed the program according to Cambridge standards, applying new teaching methods.

More importantly, it is to share and help those in difficult circumstances. After more than three years of operation, over 200 students here have achieved their goals, many of whom achieved 7.0 - 8.5 IELTS.

He also provides study abroad consulting and scholarship essay writing guidance to other students.

"I always wonder how to help students have quality and effective lessons. It's not just about language skills but also social knowledge, critical thinking and international integration ability," Duc confided.

Share and give

Understanding the difficulties of orphans when leaving care facilities, especially in terms of psychology, life skills and career orientation, Duc has become one of three national coordinators of the "Leaving Care" project of SOS Children's Villages International. The project supports training in childcare skills for mothers and aunts at five SOS Children's Villages nationwide.

Faith believes that education is the key to changing lives, providing opportunities to access necessary knowledge and skills, confidently stepping into the future. This 9X friend implements the project "Quality Education for All" providing free foreign language and life skills training to SOS Children's Villages nationwide. The project is sponsored by the Youth Power 3.0 program (SOS International, Asia Office).

International integration

It is your English ability that helps Duc confidently participate in international exchange programs. You are the representative of Vietnam at the UNICEF Children and Youth Advisory Board in 2021. In 2023, Duc will take on the role of Vietnamese youth leader to participate in JENESYS "Youth Leaders Exchange" in Japan.

Most recently, Duc is one of 17 Vietnamese delegates participating in the 2024 Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program. "The programs help me better understand the culture, lifestyle, values ​​of countries and the importance of cooperation and solidarity," Duc said.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dua-be-bi-bo-roi-la-thay-giao-tieng-anh-20250409094924297.htm