Deputy Education Minister Tells Students: One Exam Won't Define You
Deputy Education Minister Akkanan Kanchakitthinun delivered an encouraging speech to students at a nationwide free tutoring event in Mahasarakham, urging them not to view university entrance exam results as definitive measures of worth. He emphasized that a single exam cannot determine one's future and reminded students to be proud of their journey, believe in themselves, and pursue their own paths without comparison to others.
On November 15, 2026, Deputy Education Minister Akkanan Kanchakitthinun delivered a special inspirational address to students preparing for university entrance exams at the "Ein Nong Matiw Year 3" event, a nationwide free tutoring fair held at Mahasarakham University in Mahasarakham Province. He encouraged the students to recognize their own worth and abilities, to take pride in every step of their lives, and to build confidence for the journey ahead.
Akkanan said he wanted every student to remember to be proud of themselves and not overlook their own strengths that have carried them through various challenges to reach this day. No one knows how much difficulty, surrender, disappointment, and sorrow each person has faced daily, yet everyone still stands firm and has arrived here. Therefore, they should recognize their own value and praise themselves, whether the success is big or small, because every step has meaning.
"Don't wait for someone else to praise or be proud of us alone. If today no one sees the value in what we do, at least we should be the first to see our own worth. No one has to succeed by someone else's standards. We just need to be ourselves in a better version, be happy with life, and be proud of who we are. That alone means we are already very capable," Akkanan said.
He continued, specifically regarding studies: if one day exam results don't meet expectations, if they don't get into the faculty they set their heart on, or don't get to study what they dreamed of, he asked them not to be discouraged or consider themselves failures. A single exam does not judge worth and does not determine one's entire future. Just telling oneself that they did their best is something to be proud of.
Life does not have only one path, and each person's success does not happen at the same time. Some may reach their goals quickly while others may need more time, but that doesn't mean they won't reach them. He urged students to believe in themselves, dare to start over, and not compare their lives with others.
He also wanted students to live life meaningfully, be happy with what they are doing, study with dedication, do what they love, take care of loved ones, and not forget to take care of their own mental health. Because life happens only once, they should live it to the fullest and make today the best it can be, so they won't regret looking back later that they didn't live the way their heart desired.
