Emotional outburst when admitted

Gia Nguyen recalls that on March 28, he and his family nervously sat in front of the computer to open the results of the schools. Up to this point, he is still surprised and emotional because out of the 4 schools in the Ivy League, he was accepted to the school with the lowest chance of passing, which was Columbia University. Meanwhile, the schools he hoped for failed all his remaining wishes.

After that, Nguyen received many congratulatory letters from schools such as Georgia Tech, UIUC, Lehigh, Rochester, Villanova... She plans to go to the US next September to enroll in her favorite school.

Nguyen shared that he dreamed of studying abroad in the US since he was in middle school. His mother had a strong language ability and his older sister was majoring in English at Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, so he initially wanted to support him by majoring in English. However, after a period of effort, he realized that he was not interested in this subject.

During his time at Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School, Nguyen discovered that he was very interested in Physics and enjoyed researching science, so he convinced his parents that he would not take the English major. After much persuasion, his parents finally understood and let him follow the path of his passion.

Then, I passed the entrance exam to the Physics class at Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted. With my love for Physics, I joined the school's Robotic Club and participated in many robotics-related competitions.

Nguyen shared that he prepared his study abroad application very early. Right from grade 10, he took the IELTS exam and got an 8.5 and SAT score of 1540. After that, the male student spent time doing scientific research, writing essays and participating in social activities.

Nguyen was inspired by his close friend in high school, who had a disability but he believed helped change his perspective. That friend was a very good student but was withdrawn and had difficulty communicating with friends.

"Before, I was a perfectionist, even competitive. I loved basketball and always wanted to win. If I lost, I would feel devastated and not accept it, but when I played with my friends, I realized that everyone has strengths and weaknesses that need to be overcome. Supporting my friends with life skills also helped me to reconsider my own perspective," Nguyen said.

Nguyen thinks that some students participate in many social activities to enrich their profiles to gain extra points with the admissions officers. However, I have a different point of view, devoting all my passion and enthusiasm to what I like, which is technology and robotics.

During the process of building my profile, I also clearly demonstrated that, and at the same time committed to continuing to pursue my passion in the future.

Making robots tirelessly

I am passionate about technology and can work on robots from morning to night without feeling tired. Nguyen studied mechanical engineering so he is very interested in assembling and designing 3D robots.

The male student remembers that in the summer of 10th grade, preparing to move up to 11th grade, he and his friends prepared to participate in the FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam. A few days before the exam, the school created conditions to open a lab for students to work from 6am to 11pm. However, many stages were not finished, so he and his friends hid from the security guard and slept overnight to complete the product.

“I stayed up until 3-4am working on the robot before going to bed. It was an interesting experience that I will never forget,” Nguyen shared.

That year, my team and I won first prize in the FIRST Tech Challenge Vietnam. The following school year, I became a member of the coaching team for the juniors to continue researching products for this competition. Their products won grand prizes and were able to compete internationally.

In high school, joining the Robotics Club and participating in robot competitions helped me learn and grow a lot. From mechanical skills, 3D design, mechanical thinking and especially having friends with the same passion to accompany me.

Nguyen won many other awards such as: First Prize of Vietnam Innovation Competition 2024; Gold Medal in Technology and Engineering category of International STEM Olympiad 2024...

In addition, Gia Nguyen and his group of friends also won second prize in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Vietnam contest with the project: Developing an AI-powered healthcare mobile application and a handheld monitoring device.

The male student believes that the award system achieved during his high school years plays an important role in making his scholarship application highly appreciated.

Besides studying and designing robots, I also spend time participating in extracurricular activities, environmental projects, and charity activities.

It is possible to write about activities related to environmental protection such as picking up trash and planting forests to prevent mangroves with about 2,000 trees in Hai Phong City. Or the project to support people with disabilities to bring hand-made products to foreign markets.

Nguyen plans to go abroad to study this September. He is studying Mechanical Engineering to continue pursuing his passion for assembly and 3D design. After graduating from university, he plans to continue his graduate studies in a field related to management to gain diverse skills and then return home.

“As a Vietnamese, with parents living here, I wish to study abroad and then return to contribute a small part of my efforts and intelligence to my homeland and country,” Nguyen shared.

Gia Nguyen's mother shared that she once cried when forcing her son to choose a major. She wanted him to major in English so she could support him, but he cried and refused the family's direction.

“I woke up because I had put too much pressure on my child. Then I discovered that my child had good abilities in Natural Sciences and passed the entrance exam to the Physics major at Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted,” she said.

According to this parent, when entering Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, there was a good environment for studying. Gia Nguyen joined the Robotics club and clearly showed his love for this field, so he pursued it and won impressive awards in competitions.

“As a Vietnamese, with parents living here, I wish to study abroad and then return to contribute a small part of my efforts and intelligence to my homeland and country,” Pham Gia Nguyen.

Ha Linh

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nam-sinh-tron-ngu-qua-dem-o-truong-de-lam-robot-gianh-hoc-bong-my-danh-gia-post1735317.tpo