A Journey of Effort, Not a Gift of Talent

At first glance, seeing Mai Anh’s achievements, many might think, “Wow, another math prodigy.” However, for Mai Anh, the journey of studying mathematics wasn’t smooth or easy. When we described her mathematical ability as “gifted” or “outstanding,” Mai Anh humbly rejected these labels, stating that she didn’t feel she was good enough to be called that. To her, success came through persistence, a relentless search for purpose, and a quest to build confidence.

Mai Anh is one of the few female students who chose to pursue math specialization. Through hard work, she began her journey by securing a top-three entry score at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted. Her dedication earned her a gold medal at the 2019 Hanoi Open Mathematics Competition. However, the following year, she was not selected for the national team for the National Excellent Student Exam. This setback was not only a huge disappointment but also forced Mai Anh to face a tough decision: give up and prepare for university entrance exams, or continue preparing for the next year’s competition.

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If she chose to continue but failed to achieve the desired results, she would have only six months left to prepare for graduation exams, as much of her previous time had been devoted to math. In the eyes of many parents, the university entrance exam holds far greater importance than any gifted student competition. It marks the culmination of 12 years of schooling, and naturally, Mai Anh was expected to graduate with outstanding scores. However, if she gave up on the gifted team, she would regret not challenging herself to discover her true potential.

Despite the pressure and advice from many to focus on the university path, Mai Anh chose to move forward—not just to test her limits but to achieve real success. Her determination and perseverance paid off when she won the provincial first prize in math and received the national honorable mention in the same year. She was among the few female students on the school’s math team to achieve such accolades. Even more surprising, in the six months left to prepare for university, Mai Anh maintained her strong performance and became one of the top six A1 students in Nghe An Province, recognized for her exceptional performance in the National High School Exam (28.35 points).

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Discovering Herself Through Community Experiences

Having lived in the countryside before moving to the city, Mai Anh witnessed the difficulties children in remote areas faced in accessing education. In 10th grade, she joined her first extracurricular activity as a member of her school’s volunteer club, dedicated to helping underprivileged children in her locality. By 11th grade, she took on leadership roles as Deputy Head of Organizing Committee and Head of Communications for the campaign “Letters to the Mountains,” a fundraising effort to donate books to children in mountainous areas.

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Initially, the list of supplies the organizing team prepared for the children was rejected when submitted to the Youth Union office. “People in the mountains don’t need those items,” they were told. “That was when I realized that goodwill only truly matters when it’s applied correctly—to the right people, in the right way, at the right time,” Mai Anh shared. This mistake awakened her, prompting her to think deeply about the real impact of social projects and fostering in her a desire to connect and support diverse communities in more meaningful ways.

Alongside volunteering, her passion for math led Mai Anh to participate in STEM activities and math summer camps to gain deeper insights into the field. As a participant in PiMA and MaSSP (two math camps for high school students) in 2021, Mai Anh met peers with similar interests and delved into research on the applications of math in other areas, such as map coloring to ensure neighboring regions have distinct colors.

Her love for math and her desire to contribute to the community naturally intertwined, gradually helping Mai Anh understand herself better and shape her future direction. She dreams of promoting a culture of math learning among young people, turning a seemingly dry subject into a tool for conveying information through analytical thinking. In her application essay, she expressed her desire to use her analytical skills to transform collected data into actionable solutions for societal challenges, particularly to help those in need.

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Three Months of Applications – A Life-Changing Journey

Indeed, everything happened so quickly for Mai Anh that even after arriving in the beautiful land of South Korea, she couldn’t believe she was one of the 10 students selected through the embassy to receive this prestigious government scholarship.

The three months of concentrated effort in preparing her application for the Korean Government Scholarship were an invaluable opportunity for Mai Anh to reflect on herself and learn countless lessons.

Mai Anh started by learning how to identify her strengths and weaknesses and express them effectively in her essays. For the Korean Government Scholarship, she meticulously researched Korea’s reality and STEM potential to demonstrate her enthusiasm for the country and her ability to contribute to strengthening Vietnam-Korea relations. As a math major who wasn’t particularly strong in foreign languages, she relied on the support of friends and mentors to craft a compelling story and outline a persuasive vision for her future.

Mai Anh feels most grateful for the support and encouragement of her family and friends, especially her two mentors. When she first began, everything was so unfamiliar, and seeing so many “golden profiles” from others left her feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. Fortunately, Mai Anh wasn’t alone. She is thankful for her family, who never pressured her, always respecting and supporting her decisions as long as she was truly passionate and determined. Her mentors’ constant reassurance—“Just try it,” “You can do it”—and their unwavering dedication to helping her refine her essays and practice interviews, even at the expense of their own time, gave her the motivation to persevere despite the odds.

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A Final Message

Mai Anh advises young people with similar aspirations to remember that elements like GPA, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and essays take time to build, and it’s never too early to start. Once you enter the race, maintain a proactive mindset, a thirst for learning, and don’t let external factors shake your resolve. Most importantly, find a suitable companion! This person isn’t just someone who supports you with knowledge and skills but also serves as a soulmate who helps you overcome mental pressure.

Mai Anh’s story is a shining example of resilience and the courage to step out of one’s comfort zone despite challenges and uncertainties. MiYork believes that anyone reading this can create their own extraordinary story, as long as they have the courage to pursue what they’re truly seeking.

“Reach for the sky—even if you can’t grasp the brightest star, you’ll still find yourself surrounded by countless others, illuminating your dreams.”

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