This morning, April 11, DGS held a sharing session on the university application journey of our very first graduating class, K1 - a moment that took seven years to come into being. There was no grand stage, no elaborate program. Just people sitting close to one another, telling stories. And yet, with every story, the room grew quieter. There were moments when words fell away, and all that remained were misty eyes and emotions that had been held for far too long.

Seven years ago, the name DGS first appeared and even until last year, it was still a very new name. At that time, DGS had no graduating classes, no outcomes to look back on, no proof to lean into. And yet, there were families who chose to begin from zero. They stepped onto a boat that had never sailed, into a journey no one had taken before - a path without guarantees. And still, those parents entrusted their “entire world” to it. There were moments when that boat trembled against the waves, but it never stopped moving forward.

Seven years of quietly planting seeds have led to a season of abundance. 48 K1 students have brought home 23 full scholarships, with a total value of nearly 22 million USD (approximately 580 billion VND). K1 has proudly opened doors to 87 prestigious universities around the world (as of April 11, 2026).

But the glow of acceptance letters may fade with time. What remains is something deeper — the bond of a community that has learned to beat as one heart. “Forty-eight students are forty-eight shared children. We waited for each result as if it were our own child’s. At DGS, we didn’t just build a school - we built a family.” one K1 parent said, voice trembling.
 

When love within a community is strong enough, it becomes fertile ground where even the simplest dreams can grow into something extraordinary. One such story, written by a K1 mother, left the entire room holding back tears:

“When my son entered middle school, I was already very satisfied with the environment here. My only simple wish was for him to get into a top university in Vietnam, such as Foreign Trade University or Diplomatic Academy—that would have been more than enough for our family. Here, he didn’t have to struggle through endless test-prep classes. Instead, he could slowly immerse himself in subjects he truly enjoyed, exploring his passions and becoming the best version of himself...

...He was admitted directly to Foreign Trade University and the Diplomatic Academy with a perfect score of 30—the highest possible. But with the encouragement of Mr. Chris and the school, his dreams began to grow. He started aiming for international universities in Vietnam, such as VinUni, with significant scholarships...

...Then, on a Friday morning, March 13, my son unexpectedly received an offer of admission along with a full-ride scholarship from a Top 30 university in the United States. America had opened its doors to my son—a DGS student from a modest family. I truly couldn’t believe it. For so long, I had thought that the U.S. was only for wealthy families, whose greatest advantage was financial resources, while our only “advantage” was hardship—paired with determination and the guidance of dedicated teachers. My son had touched his American dream. I held him in my arms, overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down my face. Even now, it still feels like a dream...

...Sometimes, a child’s starting point is not their limit. What truly matters is the journey—the perseverance, the belief, and the presence of the right teachers, the right mentors along the way.”

At DGS, the university application journey was never a race to outshine one another. It was a journey of walking side by side. Minh Sơn shared, “With encouragement from my teachers and friends, I felt more confident and found the strength to fully pursue my dream of studying abroad.” Diệp Anh spoke of friends who stayed up until 1 or 2 a.m., helping each other refine every line of their essays or “What stayed with me most is how our counselors remembered every detail about us — our personalities, our circumstances. No matter how busy they were, their doors were always open. They would pause everything just to listen. That closeness, that lack of distance, turned what could have been a stressful application journey into something warm — something that no longer felt frightening.”

In that same warm space, words from Ms. Megan Mankerian-Stem - President of International Association for College Admission Counseling carried a quiet but powerful affirmation of DGS students’ place in the world: “I visit your school every year, a couple times a year, because I love working with the students here and really helping them on this journey. I want to congratulate you on your first graduating class. I'm sure all of your students are going to be so successful in the years to come.”

The session closed with a heartfelt advice “Don’t force your child to exhaust themselves in test-prep classes or confine them within a fixed mold. Doing so may unintentionally dim their limitless potential. Give them trust, give them the right conditions — and they will find their own way to shine.”
 

Thank you to the parents who had the courage to believe when DGS was still only a promise, who chose a path with no footprints before it. And most of all, thank you to K1 — the pioneers. Over these seven years, you did not simply go to school; you walked alongside your teachers and parents and used your youth to write the very first pages of DGS’s story. Today, the fruit has ripened. The world has opened its doors. Step forward with confidence and take the wheel of your own journey — because behind you, DGS will always be home. A place where you belong. A place where belief never fades.