Nguyen Ngoc Yen Trang, a Construction Engineering Technology major, has emerged as valedictorian of the 2025 graduating class at the University of Engineering and Technology under Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

With a cumulative GPA of 3.88 out of 4.0, Nguyen Ngoc Yen Trang not only led her faculty but ranked first across the entire university.

Her achievement is even more striking in a discipline traditionally dominated by male students.

Trang’s class had the highest number of female students among recent cohorts, yet there were only four women out of 51 students.

Across her entire intake, there were just five female students.

A former student of the Japanese language specialized class at the High School for Foreign Languages under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Trang chose a different path when applying to university.

Instead of pursuing foreign languages, translation, or economics as her family had expected, she decided on construction engineering.

“Many people advised me against studying Construction Engineering Technology because it is male-dominated and considered physically demanding,” Trang recalled.

“But when choosing a major, I never asked whether it suited men or women. I only asked myself two things: Can I study it well, and am I ready to commit to it long term?”

“For this field, my answer to both was yes.”

“At that time, I believed that in the future, many engineering jobs would require critical thinking, knowledge and meticulousness more than physical strength. So gender differences would no longer be a significant barrier.”

Trang did not struggle much with general courses.

However, from her third year onward, specialized subjects such as Strength of Materials and Structural Mechanics became more challenging, particularly due to the frequent design projects required.

“It’s true that people weren’t wrong. This major is demanding,” she admitted.

“But I still believe I made the right choice. Studying may be tougher, yet career opportunities after graduation are broader.”

Her learning approach is simple: understand everything as she goes.

She listens attentively in class and divides her workload by day.

Tasks that can be completed early are finished immediately, preventing a last-minute accumulation of assignments and pressure.

For Trang, maintaining strong academic performance depends on focus and effective time management.

She prioritizes one major goal at a time during each phase, sets long-term plans and breaks tasks into smaller parts to avoid being overwhelmed.

Active participation in collective activities also played an important role.

Serving as class monitor, association leader and deputy faculty youth union leader helped her refine soft skills such as communication, teamwork, presentation and problem-solving.

Trang is proactive in seeking clarification from lecturers whenever she does not fully understand a concept.

“Not only in class, I also message my lecturers afterward. They are always willing to respond outside class hours and advise me on academic and career orientation,” she said.

“That makes me feel heard and trusted. I believe when you are proactive and genuinely committed, lecturers recognize your effort regardless of your grades.”

Beyond formal coursework, she was encouraged to explore professional software, stay updated with industry trends and pursue relevant certifications.

Throughout her studies, Trang consistently received academic merit scholarships and was named Outstanding Student for multiple consecutive years.

Her graduation thesis earned a score of 9.6 out of 10.

The project focused on special structural components such as shear walls, transfer beams and combined isolated foundations, demonstrating her ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical design.

Trang has also developed strong language credentials.

She holds a Japanese Language Proficiency Test certificate at N2 level and an IELTS score of 7.0.

She believes her Japanese proficiency not only supported her academic learning but also provided competitive advantages when applying for jobs and negotiating salary.

One of her most memorable experiences occurred in her second year when she participated in the Virtual Design World Cup.

She was nominated to travel to Japan for the award ceremony, with all expenses sponsored.

Trang was selected for the trip because she was fluent in both Japanese and English.

“Standing on stage to present a project I had worked so hard on, then receiving the award and congratulatory messages from my teachers, made me even more certain that I had chosen the right major,” she said.

From the end of her third year, leveraging her language skills and professional certifications, Trang proactively built her personal profile, submitted CVs and attended interviews.

She currently works as a consulting and survey engineer for a company headquartered in Japan, participating in various construction projects.

In the future, the young engineer plans to further enhance her professional expertise and language skills.

She hopes to pursue postgraduate study in Japan or work there in the construction sector.

Thanh Hung