In a small Asian country called Vietnam, there lived a young student named Ky Nam. Nam was a hard-working student who was always on top of his academic game. He grinded to get into his highschool’s national olympiad team, participated in science competitions, and even scored in the top 0.1% of standardized tests like the SATor TOEFL iBT.
However, Nam felt like something was missing. He found himself feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled. He felt like his academic success was only the result of his ability to memorize and regurgitate information, but he never felt like he was making a real impact on the world.
One day, Nam stumbled upon a marketing professional in a cafe. The lady talked about how he dropped out of college to pursue his own projects and self-learning. That ultimately led to him creating a successful company that had a positive impact on society. Nam was inspired by the lady’s courage to challenge the status quo and to follow her passions, even if it meant going against “the norm”.
From that day on, Nam made the decision to stop focusing solely on his grades and instead dedicate more time to his own research projects and self-learning. It was not without consequences, however. Nam lost his streak of “Excellent Student” certificates in his 12th grade, and he almost failed to get into university. Despite the criticism and skepticism he faced from his parents and teachers, Nam persisted in his pursuits.
In his university days, he started working on LEAN Social, a website with customized study-with-me rooms to foster motivations in how young people study and work. His team established the Study with GenZ Facebook community with more than 10,000 members to support young people like him – pressured by society to be molded into cookie-perfect shapes.
Three lessons Nam learned through his journey:
1. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo:
Nam learned that it’s okay to go against the norm and follow his own passions, even if it means taking a different path from what is expected of him.
2. Learning is a lifelong journey:
Nam discovered that learning doesn’t have to stop after formal education ends, and that self-directed learning can be just as valuable as what is learned in school.
3. Making a positive impact on the world is more important than grades:
Nam realized that success and fulfillment come from making a meaningful contribution to society, not just from getting good grades.
Nam’s story is a reminder to young people everywhere that they have the power to shape their own lives and make a positive impact on the world. By following their passions and learning in their own unique way, they can achieve success and fulfillment on their own terms.
What do you think?
