Cong, born in 2006, is currently a student at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. With a passion for physics since grade 8, he has always been good at this subject. He excelled by winning the gold medal at the Asian and International Physics Olympiad 2024, earning the Second-Class Labor Medal. 

Cong is one of the young individuals nominated for the Outstanding Young Face of Vietnam Award 2024.

Cong said that he never regrets his decision to pursue physics, and he feels lucky as he has ‘special teachers’ who encouraged him to follow the path he has chosen.

His grandmother was a physics teacher, nurturing his love for the subject from an early age. When he was little, she often asked him about everyday phenomena like why rainbows form or why water freezes.

As he grew older, in grade 8, Cong met a highly dedicated physics teacher - Nguyen Van Doa - a teacher at Bac Giang High School for the Gifted. This teacher ignited Cong’s “flame” of passion for physics. He spoke about physical phenomena and their practical applications in life, which Cong found fascinating.

“The more I studied, the more I loved it and kept exploring the phenomena around me. When learning about lightning, car models, airplanes, and applying physics knowledge to achieve maximum efficiency, I realized how useful this subject is in real life if you understand it well,” Cong said.

The 19-year-old said that whenever he faced a tough problem, the teacher was ready to help, day or night. There were also times when the two had heated debates about issues encountered during exam preparation.

Besides his grandmother and physics teacher, Cong also has another teacher – his mother. Cong said his mother was the first and most influential teacher.

Cong said he was lucky because his mother respects him but is also quite strict. 

After officially joining the physics major class at Bac Giang High School for the Gifted, Cong set a goal to become a national-level excellent student, with his mother accompanying him every step of the way.

To ensure that her son has good physical and mental health, his mother always cooks delicious meals, occasionally jogs with him, and stays ready to listen to his problems in studying, friendships, and interactions with teachers.

Cong said that in the near future, he plans to study physics in the US or Singapore. Cong has applied for scholarships at several universities and is awaiting results. His top hope is to get into MIT in the US.

Hoang Thanh