Many Gen Z women are turning passion into a real journey - where each effort, though small, is marked by a resilient, determined energy. With the “Resilient in Passion” spirit from Number 1, when energized at the right moment, what once seemed like a limit becomes just the starting line of success.

Morning in the mechanical workshop

The shrill sound of cutting machines echoes in the hot, metallic-scented air. In a corner of the workshop at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Tran Thi Kieu My, a student from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, is steadily grinding layers of steel.

Sweat drips. Heat thickens the air. But her eyes stay focused and bright. Amidst the roar of steel against steel, My is like a small flame - resilient and glowing in a workshop filled mostly with young men.

A few kilometers away, in a lab at the University of Information Technology, Tran Thi Cam Giang remains locked in front of her screen, even as the clock strikes past midnight. Blue light flickers on her exhausted face, as a stubborn coding error loops endlessly on her monitor.

Two young women. Two different worlds. Yet one shared trait: they never stop. They take a sip of Number 1, recharge, and keep pushing forward.

When challenges ignite passion

At her university, My is one of the few women studying mechanical engineering. On practical days, she hauls materials double her weight. Her hands sting, her shoulders ache. There were moments when she doubted herself.

“I thought I’d reached my limit, that I couldn’t keep going,” My recalls. “But just one sip of Number 1 woke me up. The energy came back, and I stood up again - ready to finish every detail with a spirit resilient in passion.”

Sweat returned. The steel gleamed again. That moment taught My that even exhaustion could be turned into strength - if you have enough energy and passion to keep going.

For Giang, each software bug was a mental battle. “I’ve lost whole nights to a single line of code. My eyes would sting, my head felt like a guitar string pulled too tight,” she remembers.

“I’d reach for a bottle of Number 1, pop it open, take a sip. The strong, cold taste jolted me awake, helping me focus again. I’d stare at the screen and suddenly, the error didn’t seem so scary anymore.”

It was in those hours she learned to embrace the bugs. Because each crash made her a little stronger.

Steel blocks and code lines that shine

For their first hands-on assignment, students were given a block of raw steel and asked to shape it into a complete wrench. My spent nearly a month completing the task.

Some nights, she stayed in the workshop alone, surrounded only by humming machines and warm yellow light. On the table beside her: a bottle of Number 1, fueling her through each late shift with grit and determination.

“Holding that first wrench I made with my own hands - I smiled, but my hands were trembling,” she says. “That’s when I knew I’d broken through my first limit.”

And from those efforts came remarkable achievements: a 3.6 GPA, third prize in the Mechanics Olympiad, three international publications, and a PhD scholarship at Hanyang University (South Korea).

Meanwhile, Giang persevered in the digital space. Her project, “Analyzing Logical Layout on Signboards and Posters,” was designed to assist visually impaired individuals and self-driving vehicles. Rejected three times, and after more than a year of revisions, she finally received the acceptance letter to present it at the prestigious International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (ICDAR 2025 – Rank A). In that moment, she burst into tears in front of her screen.

“I remember that night - recharged by Number 1, having just finished work - seeing the open bottle on the table,” she recalls. “I smiled. Some dreams just need the right energy to take flight.”

Meeting at the summit and shining together

In 2025, Tran Thi Kieu My and Tran Thi Cam Giang were both honored among the Top 20 Outstanding Vietnamese Women in Science and Technology, awarded by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and the Ministry of Science and Technology. From 180 applications nationwide, these two young women stood out with their dedication, passion, and resilience - embodying the “Number 1 flame” of Vietnam’s Gen Z spirit.

My and Giang’s journey echoes the path of rapper Den, who spent 15 years chasing music before reaching the big stage - powered only by relentless passion and perseverance.

Three different worlds - mechanical engineering, technology, and music - but one meeting point: daring to dream, daring to conquer, and daring to grow into the best version of themselves.

When My and Giang stood under the spotlight, their shining moments reflected not just their personal triumphs, but also the image of a young Vietnamese generation relentlessly chasing its dreams - one sleepless night at a time.

From workshops, to laboratories, to performance stages - they are all working, researching, and creating around the clock. With energy at the right moment, they overcome limits, stay resilient in passion, and boldly shape their future.

On this journey, Number 1 continues to stand by millions of Vietnamese youth - fueling their passion, nurturing their resilience, and powering them to become the Number 1 version of themselves.

Dai Nam