Pursuing a field dominated by male students

At a recent graduation ceremony at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, Tran Ngoc Bao Thi was honored as valedictorian of the entire cohort. She completed her engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering with outstanding results.

During her first days at university, Thi experienced uncertainty and at times doubted her own ability, wondering whether she had enough perseverance to pursue such a technically demanding field.

Electrical and electronics engineering is widely considered a discipline requiring strong analytical thinking, a heavy academic workload and intense study pressure. In an environment where most students are male, female students sometimes need to make even greater efforts to prove their capabilities.

Yet those initial doubts gradually became her motivation to move forward. Encouragement from lecturers, support from friends and, most importantly, the confidence of her family helped her overcome difficult moments.

For Thi, the most valuable lesson her lecturers offered was not only technical knowledge but also a genuine passion for the profession.

“Our lecturers always reminded us to discipline ourselves and to work with responsibility and professional ethics. Doing things correctly is the minimum requirement, but understanding why they must be done correctly is what forms the foundation of a true engineer,” Thi said.

Throughout her studies, the dedication of lecturers was evident not only in classroom lectures but also in laboratory sessions, thesis supervision and career guidance.

These experiences helped her understand that technical knowledge is not confined to textbooks but must be tested and applied in real situations.

The university’s learning environment - which emphasizes combining theory with practice - also played an important role in students’ development. Well equipped laboratories and industry partnerships provided opportunities for hands on experience.

In addition, collaborations with businesses, sponsors and scholarship funds offered students more opportunities and motivation to strive for academic excellence. Many students, including Thi, believe scholarships provide not only financial support but also meaningful encouragement.

According to Thi, university life would feel incomplete without friends who share the journey. For her, friends were not only study partners but also companions who shared academic pressure, supported one another during stressful periods and grew together through the years at university.

Long hours in laboratories, racing to meet deadlines and late night discussions about assignments have all become unforgettable memories of youth.

A mother as inspiration

For Thi, family has always been the strongest support throughout her academic journey.

When asked why she chose electrical and electronics engineering - a field often seen as challenging and demanding - Thi immediately spoke about her mother, an electronics engineer.

“My mother, an electrical and electronics engineer with 20 years of experience, has always been my role model and my greatest source of encouragement. She guided me and constantly believed in my ability to pursue the path I chose,” Thi said.

At the graduation ceremony, when Thi looked down at the audience and saw her mother watching proudly, she could not hide her emotions.

“Mom, I want you to know that simply seeing you every day has always been my greatest source of motivation,” she shared.

For Thi, a university degree represents not only the outcome of years of study but also proof of persistence and determination after a long journey filled with challenges.

“We have gone through a long journey with many pressures, obstacles and even moments when we wanted to give up. But today, this diploma is evidence of our determination to keep learning and striving,” she said.

She believes graduation is not the end of the road but simply a new milestone.

“Many opportunities and challenges still lie ahead. I hope we will continue to maintain a spirit of curiosity, dare to step forward and keep improving ourselves to become professionals who are capable, responsible and valuable to society,” the valedictorian said.

Le Huyen