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Ha Giang Tran
Co-Lead, Vietnam Chapter
Reprinted with permission. Edited by Rasyida Paddy
“Math is only for smart boys”
I love Math. Dearly. I can spend hours pondering a Math problem. To twist, turn, and read the problems in so many different ways give me a sense of pure joy and order.
But the older I get, the more foreign the path to applied Math seems to a young girl.
I was selected for an advanced Math class for gifted students. In a classroom full of boys, and being one of the only 2 girls, I was just lost. I understood literally nothing on the black board.
I felt so stupid and embarrassed.
My friends were surprised that I even decided to attend that class. “Why don’t you choose something more feminine? Math is for smart boys.”
I dropped out 2 days later.
10 years later, I went for my first technical SQL training offered by She Loves Data. It was during this training where I met women from all walks of life who went through the same path as I did. The trainer, 5 years my senior, shared how she quit a 10-year career in banking to become a data analyst.
I realize how important it is to be around other women who share your journey and succeed in the path you want to pursue. And this time, I didn’t quit.
Having benefited from the exposure that I gained from my time with the organization, I decided to raise my hand and join Angélique Masse Nguyen, Duyen Dau, CPA (Aust.), Annie Duong Phan, and Hai Tran as Co-Lead for She Loves Data Vietnam chapter.
Just last month, She Loves Data Vietnam Chapter launched our data up-skilling program, which we offered free for all participants. This initiative was part of She Loves Data’s Certificate Program designed to help women who are interested in data up-skilling, especially SQL, to get a hands-on intro with experienced female analysts from Shopee, PwC, IAG and Amanotes.
We received great feedback from the program, and it gives me immense pleasure and pride to pay-it-forward and help build the community from the ground-up, as we offer women in the country a platform for them to learn and grow their technical capabilities in tech.
The original post was published on LinkedIn. Follow Giang to read more about her thoughts.
