From a night under a bridge to confidently standing before customers: The journey of growth of a young man from Hue.

Some people mature through great achievements, but others mature from a rainy night, a meal when their pockets were almost empty, lectures they had to listen to over and over again, and countless times telling themselves: just a little more effort. Truong Van Huy, a young man from Hue, a K15 student in the Automotive Engineering Technology Department at Dai Nam University, went through his four years of university like that.

Truong Van Huy, a former student of the K15 cohort of the Automotive Engineering Technology Faculty at Dai Nam University, has matured through many challenges during his university years.

A night under the bridge

When Huy left Hue for Hanoi to start his studies, he was filled with the excitement of a young man living away from home for the first time. But Hanoi greeted Huy with a lesson he would probably remember for the rest of his life. Unfamiliar with the roads and traffic regulations of the big city, Huy drove against the flow of traffic and rode his motorbike onto the highway. That mistake cost him over 11 million dong in fines, a very large sum for a newly enrolled student.

"At that time, I was almost penniless. I was both shocked and bewildered because I had just arrived in Hanoi and hadn't had time to adapt before something so big happened."

It rained that night. Lacking money for shelter, Huy took refuge under a bridge. Alone in a strange city, the young man, recently left home, began to wonder: Should I return to Hue?

If he had gone back then, perhaps no one would have blamed Huy, but Huy stayed. He simply thought: since he had made the choice, he had to learn to take responsibility for that choice.

Besides the tuition fees his family supported, Huy decided not to ask for more money. During the day, he attended school, and in his free time, he worked as a ride-hailing driver to cover his living expenses and gradually resolve any unexpected costs. But money wasn't the only challenge on that journey.

There are some lectures that you have to listen to multiple times to understand.

Bringing his distinctive Hue accent to Hanoi, Huy initially struggled to understand lectures. He couldn't keep up with certain parts of the class, so he quietly recorded the lessons and listened to them repeatedly in his room at night, sometimes even listening to them over and over again. He did this not only to learn the material but also to… improve his understanding of the Northern accent.

When it was his turn to present, the difficulties reversed. At times, Huy spoke but his friends below couldn't hear clearly, so he had to write down the content on paper for everyone to follow.

An 18-year-old boy can easily become insecure about things like that, and Huy was no exception.

"There were times when I felt very insecure. I even thought about dropping out of school. I lacked money, struggled with communication, and my studies weren't going well."

From a young man from Hue who initially struggled with communication, Huy gradually honed his listening, speaking, and presentation skills throughout his studies.

But the same old choice came back: stay and learn to adapt. Huy practiced listening, speaking, and presenting, observing how his teachers communicated, how his classmates interacted, and correcting himself after each time he stood in front of the class. He wasn't trying to get rid of his Hue accent, but rather learning how to make himself better understood by others.

Little by little, Huy, who used to record lectures and listen to them later, began to catch up with the class. From someone who was hesitant to stand up for fear that others wouldn't hear him clearly, Huy started giving presentations, defending his projects, and actively communicating more.

A meal that Huy still remembers to this day.

Perhaps Huy tried very hard, but a young person's journey to adulthood sometimes cannot rely solely on their own strength. During those most difficult days, there was a small thing that Huy still remembers many years later. It was a meal that Ms. Quynh invited him to when Huy had almost no money left in his pocket.

To others, it might just be a meal. But for a student far from home, caught between the decision to move forward or to stop, that meal holds a different meaning: here, there are people who know he's struggling.

During those difficult years, the care and encouragement from the lecturers of the Automotive Engineering Technology Department were a source of motivation for Huy to continue his studies and overcome challenging periods.

Then, conversations with Professor Dang, Professor Hien, Professor Hoan, and other professors in the Automotive Engineering Department also became part of that journey. They not only asked, "How's your studies going?", but also, "How's life? Are you facing any difficulties?"

"Those things made me feel like I wasn't alone."

Sometimes, keeping a student in the classroom doesn't require anything grand. A well-timed question, a timely meal, a teacher who doesn't ignore their student's struggles. For Huy, Dai Nam University gradually became his second home thanks to these simple things.

Four years later, the boy who used to be afraid to speak in front of class has chosen a profession that requires him to speak every day.

During his four years studying Automotive Engineering Technology, Huy learned the trade from the classroom and workshops to the business environment. He gradually accumulated knowledge about engines, electrical and electronic systems, chassis, and powertrains; he gained practical experience, encountered real-world professional situations, and understood automobiles not just through textbooks.

Upon graduation, Huy received job offers for technical positions at service workshops. However, he chose a career that, looking back at Huy four years ago, he himself might find hard to believe: automotive sales and consulting, joining MG Ha Dong.

The knowledge Huy accumulated during his four years studying Automotive Engineering Technology became the foundation for him to pursue a career in automotive business and consulting after graduation.

A man who used to be afraid to speak up for fear of being understood now meets customers every day, listens, advises, explains, and persuades. Four years of technical knowledge has become the foundation that helps Huy understand the cars he sells, while the days spent practicing listening, speaking, and standing in front of the class have gradually transformed into a different kind of ability: communication skills, patience, and not being afraid of not being proficient enough.

Then Huy sold his first car, "When I sold my first car, I was so happy. I thought I had actually accomplished something that I used to think was very difficult. From someone who didn't even dare to speak in front of the class, now I can sit in front of customers and advise them about a car."

Perhaps that was the most beautiful moment of the story. Not because Huy sold a car, but because the young man confidently chatting with a customer today and the student from Hue who once had to write his presentation notes on paper to make himself understood represent four years of countless times he never gave up.

If given the choice again, Huy would still leave Hue.

Looking back now, Huy no longer asks himself the question he asked that rainy night under the bridge: Was going to Hanoi to study a wrong decision?

"If I could go back in time, I would still choose to study far from home. The difficulties I've experienced have made me much more mature. I understand that there are times when you feel like you can't overcome challenges, but with a little more effort and the support of others, you can still move forward."

Four years of university didn't turn Huy into someone who was free from difficulties. Instead, it helped him become someone who knew what to do when difficulties arose: someone who knew how to take responsibility for his choices, how to adapt instead of complaining, how to relearn what he didn't know, how to accept help with gratitude, and, having overcome some obstacles, how to appreciate those who had extended a helping hand.

From the rainy night under the bridge to the day he sold his first car, Huy's journey isn't measured in kilometers. It's measured in growth.

And perhaps, that is one of the most beautiful things a university can give its students: not just a degree to enter a profession, but the ability to stand firm in life.