“I have to do things differently; I have to continue learning in order to hope for change,” is what PNV16 student Dinh Hiep Sy – a technology engineer from Quang Binh, now living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, has realized. Facing a family crisis during his school years, Sy had to struggle and put in a lot of effort, even continuing to strive after graduation. Passerelles Numériques Vietnam strictly follows the principle, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. But if you give him a fishing rod, you feed him for a lifetime.”. Sy’s achievements today are evidence that life can be sustainably changed through education.
Education is the Most Sustainable Way to Escape Poverty
Dinh Hiep Sy comes from a 6-member family who relies on farming for a living. Witnessing his two older brothers, who did not go to high school, struggle to survive on the income from manual labor, the 18-year-old teenager realized that only by attaining higher education could life change for the better.
That year, the ambitious Dinh Hiep Sy determinedly traveled north to apply for the Political Officer School. Although failing his first choice, luckily, Sy passed the PNV’s entrance exam. Upon hearing the news of his admission, Sy, despite his lack of knowledge about Information Technology, was so joyous that he prepared luggage for Da Nang. “If I hadn’t gotten into university, I would have retaken the exams and waited for the next opportunity”, Sy asserted confidently. As long as Dinh Hiep Sy could study further, whatever environment or however long he had to wait, it was all worth it.
How the Way of Thinking Decides One’s Path
Looking back on his learning journey, Dinh Hiep Sy compares himself to a blank sheet of paper, since he had never heard about even common shortcuts like typing, copying, and pasting. The heavy and completely new professional knowledge made him feel overwhelmed and seemingly unable to follow the program. There was a long time when he felt he wasn’t talented enough; therefore he lacked the confidence to achieve in work and life. Later, thanks to the support of teachers and enthusiastic help from friends, Sy realized he had potential in the IT field. He began to believe in himself and strived harder. “Sy is one of the students who were able to change his mindset in the shortest time”, Mr. Dong Nguyen – Project Manager at PNV proudly shared.
The relentless effort has brought about positive results. Dinh Hiep Sy had a remarkable breakthrough from the third to the fourth semester. He decided to ask for a Dell computer and spent extra time self-studying after school hours. In a short time, Sy’s computer skills improved dramatically, gradually replacing negative feedback with positive, whereby he was motivated to continue striving. Sy shared that the study schedule at PNV was so intense that he often had to do school projects until midnight. However, he still diligently made full use of his free time to supplement his shortcomings. “Day after day I spent the morning learning English vocabulary before class, at noon I cooked for the whole dormitory then continued to memorize vocabulary.”
Cross the Boundaries and Reach the Peak
From zero, sophomore Dinh Hiep Sy developed IT skills and soft skills such as communication, presentation, and teamwork. During PNV’s second internship, he courageously applied to the Seadev Group, passed four stringent selection rounds, and officially became a Seadev intern. During his time at work, he took every opportunity to develop himself and upgrade his expertise through each project.
After graduating from PNV in 2016, Dinh Hiep Sy always looks for opportunities in the job market. More than four years ago, the persistent graduate went through four rounds of interviews and was selected by NFQ Asia, a subsidiary of the global group. In a big business with such a rigorous selection process, he could be proud that he was the only PNV student to be admitted as an official Front-end Developer at NFQ and now have the opportunity to work in Germany for two weeks. NFQ Group focuses on social commitment to create a brighter Vietnam, which Dinh Hiep Sy is also one of the factors that inspired the company to trust and choose to accompany the training and fund-raising activities of PNV over the years.
More Dreams to be Winged
PNV not only equips students with professional skills but also conveys core values to be active citizens, one of which is the spirit of giving back. As a man who changes his future through learning, Dinh Hiep Sy is sympathetic to the less fortunate. Therefore, during the Covid pandemic, he supported PNV to encourage the next generation to pursue their educational path. “I consider PNV as a family and treat smaller classes as siblings under the same roof, so when there is a chance to help, I never hesitate.” Dinh Hiep Sy also thanked NFQ Asia for actively contributing to PNV’s operations.
Now, Dinh Hiep Sy has been able to cover the cost of living for his old parents at home. Besides, he financially supports his sister to study Hotel Management in Ho Chi Minh City – one of the most popular courses these days with relatively high tuition fees. Their life together begins to stabilize after Sy successfully buys a home there.
Join Us in Empowering the Youth
We believe that kindness and care can create a brighter future for Vietnam’s youth. Beautiful values in life are multiplied when the beneficiaries pass them on to others. Together, let’s promote a more equitable digital transformation and bring a brighter future to the youth of Vietnam. Become a part of our mission by contacting ero.vietnam@passerellesnumeriques.org.