More than three years ago, during the entrance exam to grade 10 in HCMC, Duong Kien Khai, became a “sensation” when he ranked first in the specialized track with perfect scores of 10 in Math, Foreign Language, and Informatics. Khai also held the record of the highest entrance scorer in the history of the High School for the Gifted, under Vietnam National University HCMC.

Khai said he “loved the feeling that by typing lines of code, you could build another world.” This curiosity pushed him to explore programming, and in grade 10, he won a consolation prize in the national Informatics excellent-student competition.

However, while on track to conquer achievements, a slip out of the top 3 at the April 30th traditional Olympic competition at school served as a "wake-up call" for Khai.

Undeterred, the student believed that "failure is not a fall from which you cannot get up." That stumble made him realize where he stood, and helped him clearly define his goals. 

From then on, Khai changed his study habits and daily routine towards balancing everything. "I think getting enough sleep is sometimes more important than studying all night," Khai said.

There was also a time when the student was conflicted between learning things just to score high in competitions and learning out of curiosity, just wanting to know. 

Gradually, he realized that digging deep into knowledge not only helps one understand the essence but also creates a solid foundation to solve difficult problems and be more creative.

Thanks to his persistent effort, one year later, Khai won the Second Prize in the National Excellent Student competition, making a spectacular "comeback" by bringing home a Gold Medal at the April 30th Traditional Olympic competition. In grade 12, Khai continued to win the First Prize in the National Excellent Student competition.

Not only academically outstanding, Khai also impressed with his proficiency in English, Chinese, and German. With these achievements, in 2024, hei was honored as an outstanding ethnic minority student.

A “push” toward top Asian university

In February 2025, Khai had the opportunity to join a one-week student exchange program in Japan. The trip fueled his desire to step into the world, learn, and expand his cultural and linguistic perspectives.

The feeling of “wanting to go further” motivated Khai to consider studying abroad. After the trip, he began preparing applications for universities in the US, Canada, and Singapore.

Khai has also demonstrated leadership qualities by co-organizing a programming competition that attracted more than 150 students in HCMC.

“I know many non-specialized students want to try this field but lack an environment to practice. So I wanted to create a playground where everyone could get familiar with programming,” Khai shared.

He also led nearly 50 volunteers to conduct Math and Science classes for children at shelters in HCMC. These activities helped his project management skills and teamwork, and spread positive values. They also became highlights in his application essays to international universities.

With an outstanding profile, in 2025 Khai was accepted by prestigious universities such as Georgia Institute of Technology, one of the top institutions in the world for Computer Science – University of Florida, University of Massachusetts Amherst (US), University of British Columbia, and University of Alberta (Canada).

However, Khai chose Singapore and enrolled in Nanyang Technological University with the full ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship, awarded to students with exceptional academic and extracurricular achievements.

After three months in Singapore, Khai has adapted to the new environment and the academic pace.

“Students here are very proactive, energetic, and radiate strong motivation. Everyone is ready to learn and challenge themselves,” Khai said.

Khai is currently studying foundational Computer Science courses and exploring his interests to find the most suitable path. Thanks to his fluency in three languages, he has quickly integrated and opened new opportunities.

From a curious student writing his first lines of code to a freshman at a leading Asian university, Khai believes that we should keep dreaming, persist in pursuing goals, and dare to rise after every setback, because only effort can open wide new doors.

Thuy Nga