Nguyen Truc Oanh, a 9th-grade student from class 9A at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted (Ams), was one of four students who achieved the highest scores in the city-level mathematics competition, scoring 19 out of 20 points. This achievement was announced by the Department of Education and Training on the afternoon of 5/2. Oanh expressed her surprise, stating, "I felt I did quite well, but I didn't expect to get the highest score."

Truc Oanh in a yearbook photo. Photo: Family provided

Nguyen Huy Hung, Truc Oanh's father, noted that his daughter developed a fondness for numbers and calculations at an early age. When she took entrance exams for 6th grade at private and high-quality public schools in Hanoi, her mathematics scores consistently ranked highest among all subjects. "Her teachers all observed her strong mathematical thinking, so our family encouraged her to pursue this direction," Mr. Hung said. However, in the summer of 7th grade, Truc Oanh decided to study programming, motivated by a desire to apply mathematical theories to practical situations. Despite starting informatics later than many peers, Oanh quickly surprised her family and teachers with her rapid learning. In less than one year, she joined the student competition team with 9th-grade students and earned a second-place city prize.

Instead of continuing with informatics to improve her ranking, Truc Oanh challenged herself by requesting to switch to the mathematics team. This decision surprised many, according to teacher Cao Van Dung, her homeroom teacher and head of the Ams middle school mathematics team. Mr. Dung noted that Oanh made the switch in 9th grade, leaving only about half a year for preparation. Securing a spot on the school team was a significant challenge. "Oanh's mother once asked me if she would have enough time to switch to mathematics. But after careful observation, I saw she was fully capable," Mr. Dung recalled.

Geometry was the most difficult area for Oanh. She admitted to once being "afraid" of this subject, especially problems requiring long, rigorous arguments. The student chose to systematically relearn the material. "When I changed my study approach, focusing on the core concepts instead of rote learning, I found geometry very interesting," Oanh shared.

The student indicated she did not attend many extra classes, primarily reviewing teacher-taught lessons, participating in mathematics communities for discussions, and practicing problems. According to Oanh, the secret to learning mathematics is persistent thinking. She enjoys spending hours delving into a difficult problem until she finds a solution. Only when she feels unable to solve it does she consult friends and teachers. This year's mathematics competition consisted of 5 problems. Oanh believed that solving one difficult question was crucial for a first-place finish, but she focused on easier and medium questions first to secure points.

Truc Oanh in her yearbook photos. Photo: Family provided

Problem 4, comprising three parts, involved geometry, which was not her strongest area. Oanh knew the final part was the most challenging. Typically, it would take her 30-60 minutes to solve, but fortunately, this time she completed it in just over 20 minutes. With 15 minutes remaining, Oanh attempted the most difficult combinatorics question but could not find a solution. Nevertheless, she was satisfied with her performance, having maintained her form and secured full points on the questions she completed. Teacher Cao Dzung described Oanh as intelligent, thorough, and highly dedicated to her studies. Regardless of whether a problem was easy or difficult, she always presented her solutions clearly, carefully, and with rigorous arguments. "Oanh rarely makes minor errors that lead to point deductions," Mr. Dzung noted.

For Mr. Hung, the greatest pride in his daughter is not just her "double achievement" in two subjects, but her maturity in thought and her ability to overcome challenges. He believes her willingness to venture into new fields, accept pressure, and persevere is more important than any specific achievement. Truc Oanh stated her desire to specialize in informatics in high school but "definitely won't abandon mathematics." In the long term, she aims for a career that utilizes knowledge from both subjects. "Mathematics helps me develop my thinking, while informatics helps me apply what I've learned to real-world situations," Oanh explained.

Thanh Hang