In 2023 and 2024, Phuong Chi won first place in the “Wonderful Voices” and “Speaking Talent” competitions, respectively, organized by FTU’s Faculty of Chinese.

In 2025, Chi again took first place and won the top prize in the public speaking category at the “Chinese Bridge” competition for university students from northern and central Vietnam.

Most recently, in 2026, Phuong Chi became the champion of the national Chinese poetry recitation competition “Chinese Language Road,” organized by the University of Languages and International Studies under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, in collaboration with the Sunwah Foundation and ChineseRd.

With her impressive academic performance and achievements, the ethnic Tay student from Lang Son was honored by FTU as one of its outstanding students of the 2026 graduating class.

Chi said she was happy and proud of what she had achieved after four years of effort.

“To me, being named an outstanding student does not mean I stand out more than everyone else. It simply means I have become a better version of myself than I was yesterday. I also see this as a reminder that I must always be responsible and keep striving to live up to the trust placed in me by the university and my teachers,” Chi said.

The former student of Chu Van An High School for the Gifted in Lang Son said that when she entered university, she clearly felt the “energy of Foreign Trade University”.

“I understood that I could not focus only on textbooks. Everyone around me was talented, enthusiastic and energetic. I told myself I had to keep pushing my limits, so I decided to try competitions that matched my abilities,” Chi said.

Chi said her four championship titles did not come from being exceptionally talented, but from her determination to pursue her interests and her willingness to try new things and explore unfamiliar territory.

She believes her strengths lie in her voice, energy and stage presence, and that the competitions she chose allowed her to make the most of those strengths.

“Once I entered university, I had more flexible time than I did in high school. I wanted to use that time to experience new and meaningful things. I love performing and expressing myself on stage, and I was fortunate enough to win a top prize each year,” Chi said.

Willing to take on challenges

Chi recalled that during her early university period, becoming an exemplary graduate remained outside her initial expectations as she focused simply on exploring various domains.

Maintaining academic focus alongside contest participation presented time management as her major challenge.

"Looking back, I owe an apology to my family because I occasionally immersed myself excessively in deadlines and personal targets. At times, placing strict demands on myself produced exhaustion. Ultimately, I learned that time management means prioritizing immediate tasks, near-term priorities, and long-term objectives rather than merely dividing tasks across 24 hours," Chi noted.

She said that setbacks, disappointing grades, or missed top awards were not entirely negative.

"I entered numerous competitions and experienced my share of missed top honors. Occasionally, those missed opportunities provided a necessary pause to reflect, maintain personal perspective, and keep my feet grounded," Chi said.

Chi said that participating in contests provided valuable experiences beyond titles. To her, competitions offered opportunities to connect with international peers while promoting Vietnamese culture and people.

Beyond coursework and competitions, Chi served as an event host, academic committee member at university and faculty events, and speaker sharing Chinese language-acquisition experiences.

Chi hopes her narrative inspires young people to embrace new opportunities across diverse fields.

"Dare to commit and remain patient with challenges. Progress and growth do not always follow a rapid, linear path; traveling a zigzagging or slower route remains acceptable as long as we maintain effort and reach our destination," Chi said.

Chi is now preparing applications to pursue a master's degree in China.

Thanh Hung