HIGH ACHIEVERS
INGENIEUR
HIGH ACHIEVERS
INGENIEUR
Irdina Shahriman : Thriving on Challenges
The affable Irdina Shahriman , 25 , is a high achiever with outstanding university results in engineering . She topped her class in more ways than one . Irdina secured First Class Honours in Bachelor of Science , Electrical Engineering , majoring in Energy & Power Electronics Systems . She scored the highest CGPA of 4.0 and won the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Medallion at Virginia Tech ( VT ) University in the US in 2021 . VT is a research university ranked # 75 in the US National Universities .
The Yayasan Tenaga Nasional scholar is now serving Tenaga Nasional Berhad ( TNB ) in the Sustainability Division . She and her team are involved in TNB ’ s Energy Transition Plan , which maps out strategies for the power house to achieve net zero by 2050 and oversee sustainability initiatives across the organisation .
Irdina ’ s attributes her academic success to hard work and a positive mindset . In an interview with The Ingenieur , she speaks of a solid foundation from her parents and inspiration from her aunt , who is an engineer . In addition , Irdina believes her exposure to a foreign culture and the challenging learning environment at VT changed her for the better .
From young , Irdina had a penchant for mathematics and science . “ I have always been fascinated by how science continuously innovate and create meaningful changes to different facets of life and contribute to a better society ,” she says . Modestly , she admits she was not always a straight A student during school days . Irdina , the only child , did not just focus on studies when she was in the university but was also active in extra curricular activities . Her parents ’ regular advice was to “ go beyond academics and the classroom and learn skills like time management , networking and navigate through challenges ”.
Her early inspiration towards engineering came from her versatile aunt , who started her career as an engineer and ventured into different functions in commercial and customer service . “ Be daring and do not fear to try new things ” were the messages her aunt exuded . She was also encouraged to learn continuously and to reason with supporting facts and data .
The good family background obviously rubbed off . From a young age , Irdina exhibited a compassionate and ‘ can do ’ attitude . She reached out to those in need , becoming a tutor to some students in Form 4 and Form 5 , under a school initiated programme . She also organised a charity work programme with the orphanages . Her engagement with the less privileged revolved around motivating them to believe that everyone can achieve their potential if they put their mind to it .
Her good grades in SPM enabled Irdina to get the Yayasan Tenaga Nasional scholarship . She did her pre-U at INTEC Education College , Shah Alam for two years before furthering her studies in Virginia Tech in the US .
Irdina was expecting to study in a big city but instead found herself in a small , rural town with the nearest city five hours away . In hindsight , it worked well for her as the main campus at Blacksburg , Virginia provides a conducive environment to study .
Like most foreign students , Irdina experienced ‘ culture shock ’ in the beginning . “ I was out of my comfort zone , felt inferior as a minority since no one speaks Bahasa there ,” she explains . She was the only female in the class and the only one wearing a ‘ hijab ’. Initially , most of her classmates knew little about Malaysia and had difficulty understanding her accent .
But the resourceful Irdina overcame the awkwardness . She learnt to be proactive to approach others and provide clarity to get her message across . “ From being an introvert , I became an extrovert . I was easily spotted by the professors to answer questions in class . It helps that they gave us a safe space to express views
10 VOL 95 JULY-SEPTEMBER 2023