DistantNews
Support us
Vietnamese students celebrate coming-of-age with emotional ceremony and principal's advice on character
🇻🇳 Vietnam /Culture & Society

Vietnamese students celebrate coming-of-age with emotional ceremony and principal's advice on character

From Tuổi Trẻ · () Vietnamese

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Hundreds of 12th-grade students at Nguyễn Thái Bình High School in Ho Chi Minh City celebrated their coming-of-age ceremony.
  • The event included a poignant reenactment of a child's growth, highlighting parental sacrifices and teenage conflicts.
  • The principal urged students to remember their parents' and teachers' contributions and to prioritize character, integrity, and empathy.

In Ho Chi Minh City, hundreds of 12th-grade students at Nguyễn Thái Bình High School experienced a deeply moving coming-of-age and appreciation ceremony on June 6. The event was marked by tears, embraces between students and parents, and a significant address from the principal before the students' departure from the school.

Knowledge can help you go faster, but character will help you go further.

— Principal Đoàn Thị Thu HoàiThe principal imparts a key message to graduating students about the importance of character over knowledge alone.

The ceremony featured a dramatic reenactment depicting a child's journey from birth, emphasizing the immense love and sacrifices of parents. It portrayed sleepless nights caring for a sick child and the daily struggles to provide for their education and well-being. The performance also realistically captured common conflicts between teenagers and parents, such as late-night returns, heated arguments over perceived strictness, and demands for new gadgets without fully understanding parental burdens.

The emotional climax occurred when a student overheard their father being reprimanded at work and threatened with dismissal for failing to meet sales targets. This moment prompted the student to realize the silent sacrifices their parents made daily. The reenactment resonated deeply, bringing many students and parents to tears, with some reflecting, "This story is so much like mine."

This story is so much like mine.

— A studentA student reflects on the emotional reenactment during the coming-of-age ceremony.

Principal Đoàn Thị Thu Hoài addressed the graduating students, urging them to always remember the gratitude owed to their parents and the teachers who guided their intellectual journey. She encouraged them to maintain compassion, honesty, responsibility, and a spirit of sharing. "Knowledge can help you go faster, but character will help you go further," she stated, advising them to live with youthful passion, dare to dream, strive, and overcome challenges to become their best selves. She emphasized that success is measured not only by titles or status but also by kindness, gratitude, and the positive values they bring to the world.

Always remember the gratitude owed to your parents, who dedicated their youth to helping you grow. And do not forget the teachers who silently guided the boat of knowledge, accompanying you on your journey to reach your dreams.

— Principal Đoàn Thị Thu HoàiThe principal advises students to honor their parents and teachers during the ceremony.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tuổi Trẻ in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog