Daniya Syed: Western Sydney Young Woman of the Year, FIRST Robotics competitor

Daniya Syed is an incredibly inspiring young woman. Originally from Pakistan, she was last year named Young Woman of the Year at the 2021 Western Sydney Women Awards.

She’s only recently finished high school, but already has an impressive tech CV, including representing Australia all over the world in robotics competitions, most recently at the FIRST Robotics Competition in Switzerland - kind of the Robotics Olympics, where she was the captain of the Australian team. Daniya even kicked off her Year 12 exams while competing in Switzerland, taking her English paper at the Australian consulate in Geneva.

In this episode you'll hear from Daniya about where her love of robotics came from, about the role her parents and mentors have played in helping her follow her passions, and about her plans and goals for the future. 

Not every teen is going to be winning robotics competitions in Switzerland – Daniya’s achievements are truly exceptional. But every teen can find something that inspires or excites them, and every parent can play a role in finding and nurturing that passion, even if it means removing a bit of pressure from other areas of their lives to make space for that passion.