Honoring the Valedictorians: The Secrets of High Achievers – From the Lecture Hall to Graduation Valedictorian

The School of Financial and Banking Technology proudly honors two graduation valedictorians of the first graduation cohort of 2026 – outstanding representatives of the School’s students, embodying confidence, knowledge, and an unwavering spirit of striving beyond limits.

Behind this prestigious distinction lies a persistent journey, in which every step has been shaped by a smart learning strategy and the aspiration to overcome new boundaries. Despite adopting two different approaches, Valedictorian Nguyen Chi Thien (Integrated Program) and Valedictorian Nguyen Gia Bao (Standard Program) share one common principle: learning to gain deep understanding, develop comprehensively, and create sustainable value for the future. Rather than choosing rote learning or studying merely to cope with examinations, both valedictorians have made understanding the essence of knowledge their guiding principle throughout their four years at university.

Figure: Graduate Nguyen Chi Thien – Valedictorian

School of Financial and Banking Technology, Integrated Program

For Nguyen Chi Thien, the core of academic learning stems from scientific curiosity through the philosophy of “Question and understand.” He believes that “questioning” is not merely about raising questions in class, but about proactively exploring knowledge in depth in order to gain a thorough understanding of his field of study. Chi Thien categorizes courses and applies different strategies to each: investing more time in research for complex specialized subjects, while pursuing broader and deeper exploration in general education courses. At the same time, optimizing interaction with lecturers and fellow students is the key that enables him to acquire knowledge in the most effective way.  

Meanwhile, Nguyen Gia Bao adopts a fundamentals-first approach, focusing intensively on understanding the underlying principles of theoretical systems before moving on to practice or problem-solving. This method requires considerable time for in-depth study, but in return, it provides him with a solid systematic way of thinking. This advantage has helped him consistently make a strong impression on corporate recruiters. In particular, Gia Bao shares an effective academic learning method: for every topic, proactively study at least one additional reference material in English in order to directly access original sources of knowledge as accurately as possible.

Figure: Graduate Nguyen Gia Bao – Valedictorian

School of Financial and Banking Technology, Standard Program

The two valedictorians have not only reached academic excellence through outstanding achievements, but have also completely challenged the stereotype that “high-achieving students are less active in extracurricular activities.” They are clear examples of a new generation of students, in which academic knowledge and extracurricular development are complementary components that progress together through a scientific approach to time management.

Through his “time-phasing” strategy, Nguyen Chi Thien views academic competitions and volunteer activities as an extension of the lecture hall. His strategy is to accelerate early: actively participating in extracurricular activities at the beginning of each semester, when academic pressure is still relatively low, thereby freeing up his entire time budget toward the end of the semester to focus intensively on examinations.

Taking a different approach, Nguyen Gia Bao emphasizes self-discipline rather than relying on inspiration. He has developed the habit of seriously sitting down at his desk to activate his thinking. After four years, he has distilled a formula for balance: dedicating 60% of his effort to academic activities at university and the remaining 40% to proactively observing the labor market by analyzing job descriptions for senior positions on LinkedIn and VietnamWorks. In this way, he continuously updates the practical skills sought by employers.

Alongside time-management skills and awareness of the labor market, positioning oneself in response to technological transformation is also a valuable lesson from the two valedictorians. In particular, amid the strong wave of digital transformation, the ability to adapt to and leverage technology has become a decisive factor in differentiating high-quality human resources.

Speaking about this issue, Valedictorian Nguyen Gia Bao emphasizes that students should not use AI merely as a passive support tool, but should learn how to think in order to unlock the full value of technology. He shares a method of creating highly challenging prompts: “Give me an answer using the most logical and academic reasoning, from the perspective of a top 0.01% financial analyst (top-tier financial analyst).” – Nguyen Gia Bao

This approach requires AI to provide responses with greater depth and professional value. At the same time, he notes that the rapid expansion of AI is making the labor market increasingly competitive. This is precisely why the student years represent a “golden period” to make every effort to build one’s capabilities, rather than becoming complacent or postponing personal development.

The journeys of the two valedictorians, Nguyen Chi Thien and Nguyen Gia Bao, are not rigid templates to be copied, but sources of inspiration and direction for future generations of students. Regardless of the approach one chooses, the essence of success lies in three principles: learning with purpose, developing strategically, and continuously positioning oneself in a rapidly changing market.

The School of Financial and Banking Technology wishes the two new valedictorians continued success as they move forward, carrying with them the confidence and knowledge they have cultivated to create outstanding achievements throughout their future careers!

 Chu Thi Thanh Trang

School of Financial and Banking Technology.