Yêu thầm bao năm, giờ mới có dịp thổ lộ

There are feelings for Dai Nam University that have been in people's hearts for 5, 10, 15 years... but normally few people express them. Until "Unveiling Dai Nam's Colors" opens, those things that were thought to be kept private suddenly have an opportunity to be told aloud.

The years spent at Dai Nam University have become a beautiful part of the journey of growth for many generations of lecturers and students.

Nearly 200 entries were submitted, each a unique story. Some recounted entire periods of their youth, others remembered a teacher or colleague, while some simply shared a few weeks of fieldwork, a handshake during a difficult time, or the moment they realized they were no longer the shy student they once were.

It turns out those feelings had been there for a long time. The competition simply provided an opportunity to express them.

Some people have spent their entire youth here.

On a rainy day in late November 2020, Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, a recent medical graduate, visited Dai Nam University for the first time. In her memory were the time-worn iron gate, the nine-story building standing amidst a vast green space, and an unanswered question: should she go to the hospital or step onto the lecture podium?

Ms. Thu Trang, M.Sc., Lecturer in the Faculty of Nursing, has spent many years working and growing with Dai Nam University.

Then she stayed, from stressful lectures and sleepless nights with student activities to the moment she watched her students receive their diplomas; six years passed without her realizing it. Dai Nam University today is very different from Dai Nam on that rainy afternoon. But looking back, Thu Trang also realizes that she herself has changed.

The young teacher has grown and matured alongside the school she chose.

For Dr. Thanh Xuan from the Accounting Department, that story spans nearly 15 years. Fifteen years—how many recruitment seasons, how many camps, how much work pressure, and how many years spent alongside colleagues from their youth to the point where the signs of time begin to appear on their faces.

She wrote a very simple sentence: "We grew old together in Dai Nam."

Dr. Thanh Xuan (far right) - Faculty of Accounting, has been working with Dai Nam University and her colleagues for nearly 15 years.

Perhaps there's no need to say more about the word "attachment," because there are places we go to work. But there are also places where, one day, looking back, we realize a part of our youth was spent there.

Some people only need a very short time to realize they've changed.

For Khieu Diem Quynh, a student in class YK15-01, a memorable part of her medical school years wasn't in the lecture hall, but in the small kitchen at Thuy Huong Health Station.

Quynh chose to stay at the station after working hours instead of going home. The morning briefings, the data entry days for the nationwide health check-up campaign, the home-cooked meals, and the room with the lights still on late at night gradually became a part of her youthful memories.

There are things that you might study for a long time in textbooks and still not fully understand. But after just a few weeks living amidst real-world work and real people, a medical student can begin to gain a deeper understanding of their chosen profession and the meaning of the white coat they will wear in the future.

Khieu Diem Quynh, a student from class YK15-01, will forever remember a practical experience at Thuy Huong Health Station organized by Dai Nam University.

Vo Dai Trang, a student in Pharmacy class 18-02, tells a different story. When she first entered Dai Nam University, Trang was a shy and timid girl. Her dream of becoming a pharmacist began with something very personal: the hope of one day being able to better care for her aging parents.

Then, her university years opened up a wider world for Trang. There were clubs, friends, and opportunities to step outside her comfort zone. And there was Ms. Hoang Ngoc Anh, a lecturer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry 2, whom Trang calls her "second mother," who listened and held her hand during difficult times.

For Trang, university wasn't all rosy. But it was during those less-than-rosy days that the once shy girl gradually transformed into a different person.

Perhaps that's what growing up is like; there's no specific day to mark it. Only when you look back do you suddenly realize how much you've changed.

Some people used to just want to "finish their studies."

Luong Truc Quynh, a student in the Department of Korean Language and Culture, spent nearly a year torn between two choices: studying abroad or staying in Vietnam. Ultimately, Quynh walked through the gates of Dai Nam University with a rather unenthusiastic thought: "Just finish my studies."

But then, through the lectures, the dedication of the teachers, the friendships, and the shared experiences of taking on class responsibilities, her thinking gradually changed. From someone who just wanted to finish her studies, Quynh became someone who felt fortunate to have chosen to stay.

More than just a place of learning, Dai Nam University also preserves friendships, teacher-student relationships, and memories that stay with each person over the years.

Some feelings don't appear from the very first day. They come very slowly, from a lesson, a teacher, a group of friends, a time of help, a failure followed by getting back up...

By the time I realized it, the place I once thought was just a place to "get through my studies" had become a part of my youthful memories.

Nearly 200 people - nearly 200 different "colors" of Dai Nam

Some people recount stories spanning 15 years, others 6 years, and some only a few weeks. There are stories about teacher-student relationships, collegial relationships, youth, friendships, choices, setbacks, and small moments that change a person.

No two people are alike, and perhaps that's what truly makes "The Distinctive Colors of Dai Nam" so special.

Because the 20-year history of Dai Nam University is not only told through the buildings that have sprung up, the numbers, or the milestones of development. Dai Nam is also told through the people who have grown and matured here.

A young teacher becomes a more experienced one. Colleagues who have been together for nearly 15 years. A medical student begins to understand the value of her lab coat more deeply. A shy girl becomes more confident. Someone who once thought "just finish my studies" ends up grateful for staying.

The stories submitted to "Brighten the Colors of Dai Nam" contribute many perspectives on Dai Nam, remembered through the experiences and emotions of each individual.

Nearly 200 stories, placed side-by-side, are revealing a very different Dai Nam, not just the Dai Nam seen with the eyes, but the Dai Nam in the memories and hearts of those who have lived a part of their lives here. And surely there are still many stories yet to be told.

Your story might not be 15 years long; it could be just a year, a semester, a teacher, a friend, a class, a failure, a corner of the schoolyard, or just a very small moment that, looking back today, you realize: Ah, I've grown up at Dai Nam University all along.

Nearly 200 people have shared their stories, but what does Dai Nam mean to you?

Each person has their own journey, memories, and unique "color," together creating the shared story of Dai Nam University.

The "Brighten the Colors of Dai Nam" contest continues to accept entries until October 30, 2026, with a total prize value of 32 million VND, open to students, alumni, lecturers, staff, and parents.

Because sometimes, what we think is our own personal story is actually a piece of the shared memory of many people. And there are feelings that have been in our hearts for a long time, only today do we have the opportunity to express them in words.