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Nguyen Quynh Mai, FCT Club student at TechGirls |
One day in 11th grade, an email from the US State Department made Nguyen Quynh Mai, a student from Quang Binh, unable to hide her emotions and burst into tears. She officially became one of three representatives from Vietnam to attend TechGirls 2024, a prestigious technology program organized by the US State Department to encourage female students to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields.
Starting from an online game, Mai's technology journey only really "took off" when she entered a special technology community - FCT Club.
The turning point from the times of daring to ask
In 5th grade, Mai was introduced by her friends to a game that allowed players to design their own games. The first time she encountered programming, Mai had no idea that it would be her first door into the world of technology.
However, in a rural area like Quang Binh, with no relatives in the technology industry, Mai had to learn almost everything by herself: watching YouTube videos , translating English documents, and exploring free Scratch and Python courses. Without a companion, she often struggled with mistakes and did not know who to ask. “I used to be very shy to ask questions. I was afraid of bothering her, afraid of being criticized for ‘not knowing anything’,” Mai shared.
One day, Mai's mother happened to read an article about the FCT Club's admissions - the Programming Talent Club organized by FPT and encouraged her to apply. Even though she thought she was "not good enough", Mai still tried and was surprisingly accepted.
During the first few lessons, I hardly dared to speak up or ask questions. Once, after writing a wrong code, Mai sat there struggling all night just because she was... afraid to speak up. A mentor from the club noticed and "forced" her to ask questions. Thanks to those times when she dared to raise her hand, Mai gradually overcame her barriers. From a girl who was afraid of speaking in front of a crowd, Mai and her group confidently presented their products at the FCT Summer Camp and won the third prize. That was also the first time she felt like she truly belonged to a community.
The Journey to TechGirls and Beyond
The experiences at FCT Club helped Mai surpass herself and continuously achieve achievements: Best Student of the Year (3 consecutive years), received the prestigious Grand Prix award from the Chairman of FPT Software, FPT Corporation.
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Nguyen Quynh Mai received the award for best student of the 2023 - 2024 school year of FCT |
Mai also boldly founded the STEM Club at school, represented the provincial scientific research competition and inspired technology to the students around her. That helped her build an outstanding profile and confidently conquer TechGirls - a global exchange program organized by the US Department of State, to encourage female students to pursue STEM through academic activities, mentoring and international connections.
TechGirls is one of the most difficult programs to get into at the US State Department. Each year, Vietnam only has 3 spots for female students aged 15–17. In 2024, Mai was the only representative from Quang Binh and the first IT student from the province to be selected.
Mai spent months preparing her application, from participating in extracurricular activities, writing scientific research, practicing English and developing leadership skills – important criteria for TechGirls.
Not only participating in academics, Mai was also invited to the Alumnae Advisory Council 2025 - the content organizing committee for future generations of TechGirls. She is currently the only Vietnamese and is in the youngest group. Outside of class, TechGirls also visit leading technology corporations such as Oracle, Google, Facebook, Epicor, and listen to sharing from NASA experts and US Government engineers - experiences that help Mai broaden her vision and gain more confidence in the path she is pursuing.
From Quang Binh to Washington DC, Mai's journey is a testament to one thing: if you are passionate, persistent and never stop learning, technology will be the door that takes you to reach your big dreams.
In the future, Mai hopes to study Computer Science and become a researcher at NASA – where her passion for technology was sparked by watching documentaries as a child. “I want to create technologies that bring value to the world – and then bring those values back to Vietnam. I especially want to share the opportunity to learn technology with people in remote areas – where I started.”
WEBINAR PROGRAMMING & LEARNING PROGRAMMING IN THE AI ERA organized by FPT Programming Talent Club - FCT Club:
● Time: 20:00 | Friday, June 13, 2025
● Format: Online via Zoom
● Register at: https://forms.office.com/r/WPBEqGuds7
WEBINAR WILL ANSWER:
● Is AI changing or opening up opportunities for programming?
● Learning programming in the AI era – what to learn and where to start?
● Children are passionate about technology - how should parents accompany them in the era of "Everyone knows how to code"?
● How can FCT Club help your child orient and develop their technology journey in the new context?
Any questions: please send to [email protected] for support.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/hanh-trinh-chinh-phuc-giac-mo-cong-nghe-my-cua-nu-sinh-quang-binh-post1749635.tpo
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