The face of Siti Nur Haliza (18) was glowing when she was met at her home in Mertoyudan sub-district, Magelang city. How happy she was to get accepted at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Sociology study programme; she would not even have to pay for the tuition as she has been granted the Bidik Misi scholarship by the government.
Initially, she was dubious that she would not be able to study further after graduating from SMA 4 high school in Magelang, because the income of her father, Agus Wantoro (47), as a motorcyle-taxi driver was only sufficient to meet their daily basic needs.
“Alhamdulilah, I’m thankful I’ve been accepted at UGM, even more so it’s free,” said Siti, almost in tears.
Since high school, Siti has been interested in sociology. She likes issues related to society, that is why she had chosen sociology when enrolling for UGM.
Not sure of the result before the announcement of the admission, Siti found a job at the local sugar distributor.
Despite her limited resources, Siti always came out among the best in school since elementary school. She even received scholarships in junior and senior high schools.
“Despite our difficult condition, Siti kept studying hard. Since she was in elementary school, she was among the best students and received scholarships,” said her proud father.
In spite of the hard circumstances, Agus continued to encourage his chidren to pursue education until the highest level. He would take any steps necessary to let his daughter have further education. He was convinced higher learning can generate a strong and stable next generation.
Seeing the spirit of his daughter, Agus felt obliged to do his best. “When at secondary schools, Siti always fast on Monday and Thursday as we could only afford her schoolbus tickets,” said Agus. He hopes the Bidik Misi scholarship would be able to meet her study requirements at UGM.
Her mother, Sri Suwarsih, hopes Siti would be able to succeed in her study. “I cannot do many things for Siti, just praying for her that what she’s aspiring for can one day materialise,” she said.