There are journeys that do not start from a favorable starting line. There are dreams that seem to have closed just because of a very small gap, an unexpected event or a time being forced to stop.
But there are also people who choose not to stop.
That is the story of Tran Van Dat – the Valedictorian of Computer Science and Engineering (Data Science major – 22DS) at the Vietnam-UK Institute for Research and Executive Education (VNUK), The University of Da Nang and the student representing hundreds of new bachelors and engineers giving a speech at the 2026 Graduation Ceremony.
Few people know that before stepping onto the stage in a graduation gown with an Excellent degree in hand, Dat had to put his university dream on hold twice.
When a full stop turns into a comma
On the first day entering VNUK, Dat brought a very different mindset. Not only the oldest student in the class, he was also someone who had to stop university studies twice.
The first time, Dat lacked exactly 0.2 points to enter the military academy he had always dreamed of. Just 0.2 points. A very small gap but enough to close the door he had spent many years pursuing.
Not giving up on learning, Dat continued to study another major. But the more he studied, the more he realized it was not the path he truly wanted. Finally, Dat decided to stop.
The second opportunity came when he received a scholarship and went to Taiwan to study. For the first time, Dat found a passion for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and believed he was on the right track.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly hit. To be able to stay, Dat did all kinds of jobs, from serving at restaurants, washing dishes to carrying goods at the port. But then a health crisis forced him to return to Vietnam, closing his university journey for the second time.
Two starts. Two stops.
There were times Dat asked himself: “Will my dream of going to university stop here?” “Mom and Dad, can I go to school one more time?”
In his speech at the Graduation Ceremony, Dat said there was a story he had kept to himself for many years. It was the evening sitting in front of his parents after returning from Taiwan. Not to announce that he had succeeded. But to ask a very simple question.
“Mom and Dad, can I go to school one more time?”
Mom and dad cried. Dat cried too. But in the most difficult time, his parents still chose to believe in their son one more time.
For Dat, that very belief became the motivation to start again. He entered VNUK with the thought that this might be his last chance. Therefore, every day of studying was a day he had to try his best.
Not to prove he was better than others. But to be worthy of his parents’ belief, the dedication of teachers and the opportunity that VNUK had given.
Four years later, that promise is written on with worthy achievements
The spirit of never giving up along with the open and modern learning environment at VNUK became a launchpad for Tran Van Dat to conquer new milestones step by step.
During four years of study, the student of class 22DS not only graduated with Excellence but also made a mark in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning.
Outstanding marks of Tran Van Dat:
Graduated with Excellence in Data Science, Computer Science and Engineering major.
Author and co-author of 03 international scientific papers:
LSTM-based Welding Quality Forecasting System in Smart Manufacturing.
A Comparison of Deep Learning Models for Predicting Calcium Deficiency Stage in Tomato Fruits.
Omni-Dimensional Adaptation for MobileNetV3 Using Bayesian Hyperparameter Tuning.
Participated in the scientific research project “Applying Meta-heuristic optimization algorithms to hyperparameter optimization in Machine Learning.”
Received the Merit Scholarship for two consecutive years.
Represented all students to speak at the VNUK 2026 Graduation Ceremony.
But perhaps, what makes many people remember Dat the most is not that achievement record. But the story behind it.
“Going slow does not mean going wrong”
In his speech, Tran Van Dat did not talk much about achievements. He chose to tell about failures. Because according to Dat, sometimes what we thought was a full stop is actually the starting point of a completely different journey.
Borrowing the famous quote by Winston Churchill:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Dat shared: “Previously, I understood that saying with my mind. Today, I feel it through my own journey at VNUK.”
Then he sent a message to the new graduates that made the whole hall fall silent: “If you are in struggling days, please do not be afraid and do not rush to think that you are slower than others. Because everyone has their own journey. Success is not a race for everyone to reach the finish line at the same time. Going slow does not mean going wrong. And starting over does not mean failure.”
And perhaps, the ending in the speech is also what makes many people remember the most: “Then there will be dots that are success, dots that are failure, dots that force us to start over. At the present time, they may be disconnected and meaningless. But then one day looking back, we will realize that those very dots have connected together to create the person we are today.”
Beyond the Degree. Beyond Yourself.
For Tran Van Dat, the graduation degree is not the final destination. The more precious thing is the person you have become after stumbling, times you almost wanted to give up and times you were brave enough to start over.
Perhaps, that is also the deepest meaning of the message “Beyond the Degree. Beyond Yourself.” that VNUK always pursues: an educational environment that not only gives students knowledge and degrees but also accompanies each person to overcome their own limits, grow from challenges and have enough bravery to continue writing the journey ahead.
Congratulations to Valedictorian Tran Van Dat!
Hopefully your story will give more faith to young people who are standing at the crossroads of life. Because as Dat himself shared: “We do not need to see the whole path to be able to take the next step. We just need enough courage to take the next step.”
