The San Diu girl has been fascinated with robots since elementary school and became the national Robocon champion.

"As a girl, why are you studying engineering?"

That's the question Diep Thi Hien (born in 2002) - a final-year student in Electronics and Telecommunications at Hanoi University of Industry - has received many times from those around her as she pursues a career in scientific and technological research.

San Diu female student bursts into tears after winning the national Robocon championship ( Video : VTV)

Speaking to a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper , Diep Thi Hien said that, for her, no profession discriminates based on gender. It all stems from passion and the effort to pursue one's goals.

Faced with skepticism about "girls studying engineering," Hien participated in many competitions and achieved several accomplishments to prove that with the right effort, success can be achieved.

Recently, the 21-year-old girl was one of 20 outstanding female students nationwide to receive the Vietnam Science and Technology Female Student Award 2023. This award is given to female students with excellent academic and research achievements in specific fields of science and technology.

Diep Thi Hien's outstanding achievement is winning the Vietnam Robot Creativity Competition - Robocon 2023 .

"I was quite surprised and felt fortunate to win this award. It's a source of pride for the school, the faculty, my family, and myself. It's also a testament to my efforts over the past time and a strong motivation for me to continue pursuing my passion for engineering in the future," she shared.

Diep Thi Hien was born into a family of five sisters. Her father was of the San Diu ethnic group, and her mother was of Chinese descent. The whole family lived off lychee farming in Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province. Because they lacked the means to attend extra classes, the sisters encouraged each other to study from a young age.

When Hien was in elementary school, every time the Robocon program was shown on TV, she and her older sister were captivated by the exciting competitions and dreamed of researching and building robots themselves in the future.

After graduating from Luc Ngan Ethnic Boarding High School, Diep Thi Hien decided to follow in her older sister's footsteps and study Electronics and Telecommunications. Although some people said the field was dry and unsuitable for girls, she still believed she had made the right choice.

Being one of only five girls in a class with 60 boys, Hien doesn't see it as a disadvantage.

During her first two years of study, the girl born in 2002 was excited to be exposed to new things, from assembling electronic circuits to learning about software and programming. Although she had to study online at times due to Covid-19, she still strived to win scholarships and the title of outstanding student.

In her third year, with her studies more stable and a certain level of confidence in the knowledge she had acquired, Diep Thi Hien registered to join the Robocon team of the Electronics Faculty. She and her teammates successfully passed the selection round at Hanoi University of Industry, then the Northern regional qualifiers, and finally reached the national finals.

As the competition progressed, the opponents became increasingly formidable, forcing Hien's team to constantly improve their robot to produce the optimal product in each round. In particular, she was responsible for designing and manufacturing the electronic circuits that enabled the robot's operation and for performing some logistical tasks.

During this time, the entire group "ate and slept with the robots." Depending on whether they had classes or not, the members would go to the lab to research and build circuits until late at night, only returning home after the school closed.

As the final stages approached, Hien and her friends were at the workshop day and night to test the robots and practice, only daring to snatch a few moments of sleep to keep up with the schedule.

Thanks to their tireless efforts, at this year's Robocon Vietnam final, Hien and her teammates erupted in joy as they brought home the championship title for Hanoi University of Industry after a 15-year wait.

The team then represented Vietnam at the Robocon Asia-Pacific competition held in Cambodia and finished third overall, along with the "Best Technique" award.

Looking back on her journey, Hien cherishes the beautiful memories and valuable experiences that she probably couldn't have had anywhere else.

" Robocon 2023 gave me the opportunity to meet and learn so many wonderful things from teachers, seniors, and friends. I will never forget the days I spent with my teachers and the whole team, working tirelessly to achieve the results we have today. If I have any regrets, it's probably why I didn't join the team sooner," the female student shared.

Joining the Robocon team and winning a high award also made Hien's student life more fulfilling. She considered it an opportunity to hone her knowledge and skills, while also challenging and training herself.

For example, Hien learned patience and high discipline during the circuit building process. Because, when faced with tiny components measured in millimeters, she couldn't afford to be hasty or careless, as that would prevent her from properly assembling and creating a complete circuit board.

For Diep Thi Hien, studying alone is not enough; she enjoys participating in Youth Union and Student Association activities and volunteering. Through these activities, the female student can both accumulate more experience and have the opportunity to participate in training courses that help her become more confident, stronger, and contribute in a way that truly reflects the energy of youth.

Currently, Hien is a member of the Executive Committee of the Electronics Faculty's Student Union, Secretary of the Electronics 6 - K15 Student Union, Hanoi University of Industry. In addition, as the Head of the FEA Academic Club of the Electronics Faculty, she is always a shining example with a cumulative GPA of 3.34/4.0 and a training score of 92/100.

"Initially, I struggled to balance my studies, research, and student union activities. Later, I learned how to create a detailed schedule and prioritize activities at each stage. For example, during the Robocon competition, there were days when I only slept four hours, accepting a slight drop in my academic performance to focus on research."

"Luckily, I always have teachers and friends by my side to guide and support me so that I can complete all my tasks," she shared.

After the Robocon competition concluded, Diep Thi Hien tried her hand at the school-level IoT Challenge . With the project "Designing a patient health monitoring system," her team won first prize, with her primarily responsible for the circuit design.

Also at the beginning of this school year, Hien applied for and won a scholarship of 22 million VND from a corporation. Thanks to this, she had the opportunity to intern and was guaranteed a job after graduation.

"I'm studying Chinese and English to prepare for the job market. This will also help with my future scientific research," the female student said.

In her final year of university, Hien still has many plans and projects ahead of her.

As a member of the Robocon team, the female student will continue to study and research with her teammates to prepare as best as possible for the Robocon 2024 competition to be held in Vietnam.

As the head of the faculty's academic club, Hien hopes to work with the members to lead the club to further development and help more students.

"In the future, I will continue to study, research, improve my professional knowledge, and pursue my passion for engineering. I hope to contribute to the overall development of science and technology and achieve many new accomplishments," the 21-year-old shared.

Photo: Provided by the interviewee

Design: Tuan Huy

Content: Thu Thao

Dantri.com.vn