Comments on: David Banh: College Phenomenon

by: Samuel

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:32:56 +0000

It is amazing what this website is doing. When you want to do something you can. Last year I decided I wanted to go to college this year. Through a program in our state, I am able to go to college full time for free, and I am only fifteen! We have a group from my church on campus, and and are starting to do some incredible things for the Kingdom.
Let’s keep going!!!

by: watermelon

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:25:34 +0000

so what if banh is not a christian? as far as i know from reading this article he was highly motivated by financial concerns. and then you could counter that he could’ve gotten a part-time job and finish the double-major in the usual amount of time. but you know what? i don’t think he’s be satisfied with minimum wage, not to mention him realizing that serving in the cafeteria during free time is a waste of time.

please, good thing banh wasn’t a christian so he wouldn’t be obliged to perform your stupid rituals and take note of your stupid beliefs.

by: Theo

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:44:11 +0000

David Banh is standing next to me right now as I type this, and he says that he is a Genius. YOUNG PHE!

by: Stacie

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:57:36 +0000

What I don’t understand is how come David Banh has to worry about school loans. Obviously he is extremely smart to be taking advanced placement and amassing 72 hours before starting college. Any college admissions comittee would see this and would have offered him full scholarships, room & board, and even study abroad. DIDN’T HE RECEIVE ANY SCHOLARSHIPS?

by: rose

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:03:24 +0000

awesome thought..thanx

by: D. Sure

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 10:05:14 +0000

Jesus Loves u!

by: Carley Anderson

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:37:44 +0000

Great post. Thanks for the encouragement. “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.”

And David McKay–thank you for your link. It’s so important to remember that older people are important and still have potential…it’s important both for young people and the “old geezers”.

by: Les Jumelles

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:04:03 +0000

Thank you so much for your article about David Bahn. We have been dealing with the “I’m not a genius syndrome” a lot lately, and were glad to see you set forth so clearly the wrong of dismissing an achievement as the product of intellect rather than labour. Compromise from doing one’s best for the glory of God usually leads to more compromise and laziness. Once we convince ourselves that we are unable to do something, we actually have lost the discipline and therefore the ability to accomplish that thing. As Jonathan Edwards said, we should “live with all our might while we do live”, and remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

by: Simon M

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 03:33:02 +0000

To do 4 years of college in 1 year is phenominal. My father did a four year degree in two, so I already have an impressive example.

On the radio program Family Life Today the were talking about the meaning of success. They said the world defines success in terms of good job/money, good looks, power and fame/reputation. But, they continued, true success is having a passionate love for God and other people. Someone I know added education is a vain pursuit. While all of these things are good things to gain, they are worthless if they are not used to gain glory for God (1 Cor 13).

Life should be a quest to know God that starts with Christ’s sacrifice and is supported by the confidence in his return. My primary purpose is to love God.

My second purpose is to love people. This point has irked me the last few days because I do not love people outside of my family very well. I study hard in school, yet do not achieve my short term goals. So I spend more time studying and less time with people. Even with my music and sports activities, my mentality is “How will this benefit me.”

I hope to go into the medical field when I grow up. My education is pointed in that direction and well on its way. In the world’s view of success I might do very well. But that ’success’ will be empty if I do not truly love. Love God with my all and people with the overflow of his grace.

Now is the time to learn love. Now, as I gain accedemic knowledge in my teen years, is the time to gain the will to altruisticly serve the least desirable people at the most inconvinient time even when it costs me my agenda. If I miss some fun (short term gain) or education (long term gain), that is okay. I will have served God and he will do what’s best for me. If he wants me to be a nurse that will happen if I am following His lead. My future is in his hands. What I can do to prepare for it is prepare my heart with humility and love and my mind with knowledge and wisdom.

To return to David Bahn, what profit is it if he gains the whole world but loses his soul. If he showed the same drive to know God as he does to learn then I could unreservedly admire his achievement. As it is, I can take his example as an encouragement to succeed before God in the time of my education and my life as a whole.

by: MM

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 17:58:27 +0000

Hmmm… as a college instructor, I have to say that I would worry about a student with David’s habits.

The University of Virginia represents a fine tradition of liberal arts education, which emphasizes (and prioritizes!) the proper balance of work, leisure, academia, and relationships. And as a Christian worker in campus ministry, I would worry that of David were a Christian, he was allowing himself precious little time for healty involvement in a church and evangelisation of other students. -A herioc work ethic here certainly, but is this one that should be imitated in light of Christian mandates and wisdom?… hmmm…