Orphaned student misses officer school admission due to last-minute aspiration change

Scoring 23,6 points, Le Thanh Hoan missed admission to the Political Officer School after a last-minute aspiration change, despite his challenging background and dream of military service.

Le Thanh Hoan, 18, from Nam Cua Viet commune, has appealed to the Political Officer School for a special admission consideration. He recently penned a 7-page letter to the institution, hoping for a chance to study there after missing admission due to a last-minute decision.

Hoan's life has been marked by hardship. He grew up without a father, and his mother suffered from limb disabilities due to Agent Orange's lingering effects. To support the family, his mother would wake daily at two in the morning to collect fish and shrimp from fishermen at Cua Viet port, reselling them at the market.

In 2021, the Trieu Van Border Guard Post adopted Hoan. Besides supporting his studies and life, the soldiers also campaigned to build a "Great Unity" house for his family. Tragically, his mother died in a traffic accident at the end of 2023. His 76-year-old maternal grandmother, often ill, has been his closest relative since.

Le Thanh Hoan with his maternal grandmother. Photo: Dac Thanh

Le Thanh Hoan with his maternal grandmother. Photo: Dac Thanh

Despite his struggles, Hoan consistently achieved good academic results, earning second prize in provincial-level History and a gold medal in district-level Badminton. On 3/6, his 18th birthday, he was admitted to the Party.

His upbringing among border guards fostered a deep desire to study and train in a military environment, leading him to successfully pass the preliminary round for the Southern Political Officer School.

In the recent high school graduation exam, Hoan scored 23,6 points in the C03 combination (Mathematics, Literature, History). This score included 0,5 bonus points for candidates from rural Zone 2, and he excelled in Literature and History, scoring 9 and 10 points respectively.

The Political Officer School this year required 21,5 points, meaning Hoan would have been admitted if he had kept his original aspiration. However, believing his score was too low compared to previous years' benchmarks, which had reached 26,82/30, he hastily changed his aspiration to the Information Officer School. The benchmark for the Information Officer School, ironically, was 23,72 points, exceeding his score.

"Due to my extremely difficult circumstances, and the intense anxiety about not scoring enough to enter the school, coupled with not having the means to study at other institutions, I lacked experience and changed my aspiration to the Information Officer School at the last minute", Hoan wrote in his letter. He added, "I promise to study and train, to fight with all the loyalty and resilience of a child from the 'land of fire' Quang Tri."

Major Nguyen Van Sau, Political Commissar of the Trieu Van Border Guard Post, confirmed Hoan's challenging background. He noted that Hoan exhibits a good attitude and always strives to improve. Sau clarified that the student's decision to withdraw his aspiration for the Political Officer School stemmed from anxiety, not a lack of desire or inability to meet requirements.

Colonel Dinh Xuan Hung, Political Commissar of the Quang Tri Border Guard Command, described Hoan's situation as regrettable. He added that the unit has reported the case to the Border Guard Command for consideration.