Tuệ scored 9.5 in Mathematics, 9.5 in Physics and a perfect 10 in Informatics. Although confident after completing the examination, he said he remained anxious as each score appeared on the screen.
“When I saw my Math score was 9.5, Physics 9.5, and Informatics 10, I was overjoyed and a bit surprised. The first thing I did was call my parents and teachers to share the news. Seeing everyone happy and proud, I felt that my efforts over the past three years had truly paid off”, he said.
As the eldest of three children in his family in Residential Group 1, An Khê Ward, Tuệ said he has always felt responsible for setting an example for his younger siblings and repaying his parents' sacrifices through academic success.
“Being the oldest, I always feel I have to try my best first so my siblings have motivation to follow. My parents have worked hard to raise the three of us, so I just want to study well and not let them down. Whenever I achieve something, the first thing I think of is my family’s happiness. That’s also what motivates me to keep striving on the road ahead”, he said.
Tuệ consistently earned excellent academic results throughout primary and secondary school. In ninth grade, he won third prize in the provincial Mathematics Olympiad, earning a full scholarship worth VND300 million (about US$11,500) to attend Chi Lăng High School, a milestone he described as a turning point in his education.
Moving away from home to live in the school's dormitory presented early challenges, he said, requiring him to manage his daily life independently while adapting to homesickness.
“When I first entered the school, I lived in the dormitory, so I faced many difficulties. From taking care of myself, managing my study time, to dealing with homesickness, I had to overcome them all on my own. But that environment helped me mature, become more independent, and take greater responsibility for myself,” he said.
During his three years at Chi Lăng High School, Tuệ built an extensive record of achievements in national and international competitions. His international awards include a Consolation Prize at the International Drone Programming Competition in Namwon, South Korea; Silver and Gold Medals at the World Invention and Creativity Olympic in 2024 and 2025 in South Korea; a Gold Medal and first runner-up finish at the Youth Tech Asia Challenge 2025; and the Amaze Award at the IDE Series 2024 in Singapore.
His national and regional accomplishments include third prize at the 2025 National Artificial Intelligence Olympiad for Students, a Silver Medal in the Central Highlands Informatics Olympiad for specialized students, a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Central Highlands Informatics Olympiad for non-specialized students, second prize in the Central Region Youth Informatics Contest, and second and third prizes at the Hue-ICT Challenge.
At the provincial level, Tuệ won first prize and a consolation prize at the Gia Lai Provincial Youth Informatics Contest, second prize at the Provincial Science and Engineering Fair, multiple Informatics awards in Categories A and B, and is also a member of the national Informatics team.
Despite his achievements, Tuệ said he avoids marathon study sessions and instead prioritises mastering concepts.
“I don’t study by pulling all-nighters. After a full day of classes, I usually just do about two or three practice tests a day. The most important thing is to learn different problem-solving approaches from friends and teachers to sharpen my thinking skills”, he said.
He said Informatics, his strongest subject, requires him to reinforce core knowledge rather than complete large numbers of exercises. For Mathematics and Physics, he focuses on logical reasoning and exploring multiple ways to solve the same problem.
“I believe effective learning isn’t about doing as many practice tests as possible, but about deeply understanding the material. When I encounter a difficult problem, I often consult friends and teachers to discover alternative solutions. Each time, I learn a new way of thinking”, he said.
Outside his own studies, Tuệ spends weekends mentoring younger students. At the beginning of 2026, he accepted an invitation from the principal of Sao Việt Gia Lai Inter-level School in Pleiku Ward to mentor three students preparing a project for the Science and Engineering Fair.
“Helping the younger students also taught me a lot. I gained team management skills, improved my communication, and learned how to convey information effectively. Seeing them understand the lessons and become more motivated to research made me very happy”, he said.
Tuệ plans to apply for the Advanced Program in Computer Science at the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, with the goal of becoming an artificial intelligence engineer.
“I want to become an artificial intelligence engineer to create useful products for society. I believe technology, especially AI, is opening up many opportunities to solve real-life problems. I hope to contribute, even in a small way, to creating positive values for the community,” he said.
His homeroom teacher and English teacher, Bạch Nguyễn Hồng Danh, said Tuệ's academic success reflected years of disciplined and methodical learning rather than rote memorisation.
“Võ Đăng Tuệ is an outstanding student, participating in many international AI competitions. Notably, he has a very scientific approach to learning, not relying on rote memorization but on systematizing knowledge. Whenever he doesn’t understand something, he proactively asks teachers for clarification. So, when I learned that Tuệ achieved such high scores and became the valedictorian, I wasn’t surprised,” she said.