Those memories fueled his determination to study and escape poverty.

Le Hai Phu, born in 1993, was the valedictorian of the 2011 high school finals in Tien Giang province. Four years later, he graduated as valedictorian from the Foreign Trade University HCM City Branch with near-perfect scores. 

He pursued master’s degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Carnegie Mellon University in the US, graduating as valedictorian in both.

Phu said his greatest motivation behind his efforts was his mother’s sacrifices and dreams.

In Phu’s memories, his mother was a hardworking woman. Orphaned at four, she had to drop out of school at 10 due to a lack of documents and financial hardship, taking on various jobs to survive. Yet, her dream of education never faded.

“My mom often told us about her dream of going to school. Though she stopped studying early, she still recalls poems she learned over 60 years ago. Perhaps that’s why she poured her heart into ensuring her children could study, despite our family’s struggles,” Phu said.

With a high number of family members, Phu and his siblings often lived in scarcity. During tough times, his mother pawned the gold bracelet from his grandmother. That bracelet helped seven siblings to grow up and bring them to school.

Understanding their mother’s dreams and hardships, all seven siblings were dedicated to their studies. Phu’s and his siblings studied together, went to the fields to catch golden snails, or collect mango seeds – every 100 seeds could be exchanged for three packs of instant noodles.

During the flooding season, they waded through submerged roads to school. Some days, they’d fall, covered in mud, and had to return home to change clothes before heading to class.

In a rural area, few people had the chance to follow higher education. But Phu’s mother decided that all her children must be sent to school. His older siblings became teachers, pharmacists, and more.

Like his siblings, during the high school graduation exam, Phu outshone tens of thousands of candidates to come first at the high school finals in the province. He then was rewarded with a laptop as his stepping stone to university.

After passing entrance exams to both Foreign Trade University (Foreign Economics Faculty) and the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Phu chose the former, opting for a quicker path to graduation. During his university years, he earned scholarships to avoid tuition fees and worked part-time to cover living costs.

While many peers planned for overseas studies from their first year, Phu once thought it was “out of his reach” due to the high costs. A turning point came when he graduated early as valedictorian with seven semesters of scholarships. He decided to seek a new environment to challenge himself and make his mother proud.

After graduation, Phu planned to study in the US, encouraged by his mother. “I dreamed of taking her to the US at least once in her life.”

Still, Phu admitted that he had many shortcomings, from essay writing to research achievements. But he calmly prepared step-by-step, studying English, preparing for the GRE (graduate entrance exam), and writing his essay.

In his essay, Phu shared his personal story with genuine emotion and aspiration. He was accepted into top global schools but chose MIT.

He then took 3-4 more subjects every semester to have more chances to communicate with professors and classmates. Unpressured by grades, his passion for learning stemmed from exploring his potential. Beyond classes, he engaged in research and teaching assistance, graduating as one of the top students recognized in the US.

With a passion for data science, Phu applied and was accepted to top schools again. He chose to study Scientific Data Analytics at Carnegie Mellon, a world leader in AI. Once more, he graduated as valedictorian, far surpassing his peers.

Gwendolyn Stanczak, Graduate Program Director at Carnegie Mellon, said Phu earned A+ grades in all subjects and his thesis, an unprecedented feat for the department. Renowned professor Manfred Paulini also praised Phu’s humility, sharp intellect, and responsible work ethic.

Phu’s mother was present at both master's degree awarding ceremonies. Seeing her tears of joy, he felt proud and more fulfilled to see her happy than standing in prestigious halls or gaining admission to top schools.

Thuy Nga