Pho Huong Lan, a 9A1 student at Ngoc Thanh Secondary School, achieved 16,5/20 points, making her one of two top scorers in literature at the Phu Tho provincial excellent student competition. The school views this as a significant achievement for a mountainous institution, where over 50% of students are from ethnic minority groups, predominantly San Diu.

'When I received the news, I was overwhelmed and surprised because I never thought I could achieve such high results,' Huong Lan said. Before the competition, Lan had aimed for a third prize, but her strong performance made her confident of a higher award.

The exam comprised two sections: social commentary and literary analysis. Lan found the social commentary question, which typically required drawing lessons from a story, familiar and manageable. She also excelled in the literary analysis section, thanks to her teacher's thorough preparation.

Pho Huong Lan. Photo: Khanh Linh

Lan shared that she had approximately two months to prepare for the competition. During the initial stage, students reviewed at a moderate pace, completing about one essay daily. As their skills improved, they focused on increasing writing speed and familiarizing themselves with various exam formats.

During the final weeks of preparation, the study intensity increased significantly. Lan completed three to four literature essays daily, in addition to her assigned homework. She also dedicated time to practicing her handwriting, aiming to make a positive impression on the judges.

According to Ms. To Thi Bich Dao, the teacher overseeing the literature team, Huong Lan possesses strong memory and reading comprehension abilities. 'During practice sessions, she often proactively offered her own ideas and solutions for us to discuss. If reasonable, I respected and encouraged her to develop independent creative thinking,' Ms. Dao stated.

Lan's passion for literature developed from an early age through extensive reading. She maintains a consistent reading habit, focusing on two categories: Vietnamese literature and foreign literature.

'I often read medieval literary works like Truyen Kieu (Nguyen Du) or foreign novels such as The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett),' Lan shared. Among Vietnamese authors, she particularly admires the great poet Nguyen Du and poet Xuan Dieu, noting their 'profound and insightful' poetic styles. This reading habit has expanded her vocabulary, enhanced her comprehension, and fostered new perspectives for her essays.

Looking ahead, Huong Lan plans to sit for the entrance exam to the provincial 10th-grade specialized literature class. She aspires to pursue careers in writing and media, such as journalism or broadcasting. Her long-term goal is to attend the Academy of Journalism and Communication for her university education.

Chau Anh