On most days, Claire Bartolome is the lone female student found at the Robocon lab at The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Engineering block at the Laucala Campus in Suva, Fiji.
Born and raised in Fiji, she developed her love for science at a young age and is proof that gender should never be a barrier to pursuing one’s dreams.
My parents made the move to Fiji from the Philippines 23 years ago for work opportunities. With both parents having a background in medicine, I initially thought to pursue studies in the same field.
This took a turn in high school when I developed a keen interest in Physics and wanted to explore how I could build on this.
Claire shared
During her studies at Jai Narayan College, Bartolome would look forward to learning new concepts and formulas during her Physics classes.
The concepts just came naturally to me, and the teachers were very supportive. The learning environment was nurturing, and it made me want to excel in the subject and apply it to a degree.
Bartolome began to ponder on her tertiary studies towards the end of high school, and after learning of an aunt who was a software engineer, she started to consider Engineering as a potential career pathway.
When I learned that my aunt is a software engineer, it broadened my perspective.
That’s when I realized the endless opportunities available to females and started to see engineering as a potential field of profession for myself.
Claire Bartolome
Initially, her parents were hesitant given that there were only a few relatives in the line of work.
At first, my family wasn’t fully on board with my decision but later on they supported me and became more understanding of it.
Bartolome said
Bartolome is now a third-year Mechanical Engineering student at USP and the only female member of USP’s 10-person Robocon team.
The group is preparing to represent the country at this year’s ABU ROBOCON 2025, the largest robotics competition in the Asia-Pacific region, which will be held in Mongolia.
Although I am the only female, being part of a team with like-minded individuals who work towards a shared goal has been exciting.
The goal of Robocon is to create high-performance robots that are able to mimic basketball movements such as dunking, shooting and dribbling. Bartolome plays a key role in assisting with research and development.
I assist with designing the defense mechanism, which uses the pulley system to move the net up and down and the dribbling along with the frame that holds the parts together.
The team has been preparing since October 2024, planning and working on the infrastructure and framework for the robots. During the semester break, the team met daily from 8am to 5pm.
However, once the semester started, the team divided themselves according to their schedules, with one group working on Mondays and the other on Fridays.
Despite being in a traditionally male-dominated field, Bartolome said she does not view gender as an obstacle.
I try not to think about it. It’s easy to let those thoughts creep in, but at the end of the day, what matters is what you’re aiming for and what you want to do during this lifetime.
Bartolome, who is also the only female student in her year of Mechanical Engineering at USP, admits that there were moments when she had to toughen up, but having the right mindset was what got her through.
In my first year, everything felt overwhelming. But I’ve learned that in this field, you have to develop a thick skin and focus on what you’re capable of.
Bartolome said she has also noticed a growing number of female students entering STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
When I first started, there weren’t many females, but now I’m seeing more girls join mechanical engineering in the years after me. It brings a smile to my face.
Her advice to young females considering Engineering as a study and career pathway is to “give yourselves a chance”.
Stand your ground and go for it. The future is untold, but you never know unless you take that chance.
Reflecting on this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Accelerate Action, Bartolome emphasized the importance of progress and unity.
To accelerate action means to move forward with quick implementation. In engineering, nothing happens in isolation, you need collaboration. I believe it is the same when it comes to women’s empowerment. We need to work together.
Claire Bartolome