After receiving the "You Inspire Me" badge at the world’s largest high school robotics competition, Tran Phuong Thao (11th Grade Informatics 1, Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted) was honored with the "Living Beautifully Youth" Award of Hanoi in 2026.

In January, while in 10th grade, Thao served as deputy leader of Team FTC 24751 Vietnam at the FIRST Tech Challenge, the premier global robotics tournament for high school students. The team secured the national championship before earning division runner-up honors at the international round held in the US.

Thao was the sole Vietnamese candidate awarded the "You Inspire Me" badge by the international judging panel. This distinction recognized her journey throughout the tournament, from communication and teamwork skills to her community contributions.

Prior to that, to become one of the two female students selected for the national team, Thao demonstrated not only technical expertise but also sharp agility, leadership capability, and an ability to connect people.

Earlier, Thao and her research group won First Prize at the Hanoi municipal level in the "Students with Startup Ideas" competition in 2025 with the project "Voibot AI System for Learning, Research, and Assisting the Elderly and Young Children."

"In the context of digital transformation, the elderly and people with disabilities face numerous hurdles when looking up information. Recognizing this reality, I applied robotics knowledge to develop a product assisting them. Instead of using search engines manually, users can ask questions in natural language. The robot receives, processes requests, automatically searches information online, and responds via voice, thereby supporting vulnerable groups in society," Thao said.

Thao and her team also won a Gold Medal at the 2025 Asian Business Simulation competition.

Thao maintains outstanding academic results, ranking among the top of her cohort in grade point average and receiving a scholarship from Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted. Thao currently serves as class monitor of 11th Grade Informatics 1, vice head of the Informatics major cohort, and is among the school's top 20 student ambassadors.

From tech competitions to STEM education

Recognizing the vital role of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Thao applies technological knowledge, an entrepreneurial mindset, and resource-networking skills to implement community projects, expanding access to STEM education for students in underprivileged localities.

As head of the organizing committee for the STEAM Sprout Season 1 event series, Thao raised sponsorships, connecting robotics teams to six schools in Ha Tinh province, inspiring nearly 3,000 students.

She also officially represented the team in presenting the "STEAM Nurturing" fund to these six schools.

During STEAM Sprout Season 2 in August 2026, Thao and her peers donated over 1,200 books covering science, STEAM, history, and literature to the six schools, providing students with additional resources for deeper exploration into STEAM fields.

Thao also directly guided local students in accessing STEM concepts and getting familiar with computer programming.

"I am delighted to sense the passion and inspiration for STEM among students participating in the events," Thao shared.

With her impressive accomplishments, Thao was recently presented with the 2026 "Living Beautifully Youth" Award by the Hanoi Vietnam Youth Federation.

Thao expressed her joy and honor at receiving the award. "This serves as motivation for me to continue organizing STEM programs in the future," Thao said.

To balance activity participation, competitions, and top-tier academic standing, Thao plans ahead and allocates her time efficiently.

Always prioritizing core academic coursework, Thao focuses on classroom lectures, striving to grasp concepts and complete assignments directly in class to save review time at home. She segments time for each task, avoiding multitasking to prevent distractions and reduced efficiency.

"At the start of each month, I set a plan with clear objectives and strive to complete them. In the morning, I attend regular classes; afternoons are spent on homework and deepening specialized subject knowledge; evenings are dedicated primarily to personal projects," Thao shared.

In her free time, she plays basketball and the piano to relax.

Looking ahead, the student plans to focus on mastering class knowledge and completing high school. She hopes to spread a passion for STEM across communities by establishing STEM clubs and organizing programming classes at schools in disadvantaged areas.

Thanh Hung