Universitas Gadjah Mada has once again achieved a proud milestone at the national level. From July 24 to 27, the National Achievement Center (Puspresnas) held the 2024 National Outstanding Student Competition (Pilmapres) at Gorontalo State University.
This year, the competition featured 18 outstanding students from various universities across Indonesia. Representing UGM was Najwa Nur Awalia, a 2020 student from the Faculty of Geography. Najwa, fondly known as Nana, secured 2nd place in the Undergraduate Program category of the 2024 Pilmapres.
To reach the National Pilmapres, Nana had to go through a series of challenging selections. The year 2024 marked her third attempt at the student achievement competition. In 2022, Nana was named the 1st Outstanding Student of the Faculty of Geography.
The following year, she became a finalist in UGM’s Outstanding Student Competition (Pilmapres UGM). Nana reapplied for Pilmapres UGM in 2024 after changes to participant criteria allowed third—and fourth-year students to register. Seizing her last opportunity, Nana applied to be the university’s outstanding student and won first place.
However, Nana’s journey did not stop there. After winning Pilmapres UGM, she had to compete with top outstanding students from various universities in Yogyakarta.
“Before advancing to the national stage, a pre-national selection filters outstanding students by region. This selection includes writing papers and listing achievements,” Nana explained Thursday (Aug. 16).
Nana cited time management as her biggest challenge in Pilmapres 2024. She had to juggle her studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) under a student exchange program and prepare for Pilmapres training. Nana even dedicated her rest time at NUS to participate in Pilmapres coaching sessions online.
“At first, I thought my performance wouldn’t be optimal because I couldn’t focus,” Nana admitted.
With continued support from her family and team, Nana managed to stay optimistic. She also entrusted herself to God to achieve the best possible results. Nana confessed that she felt calmer and more at ease after praying.
“Alhamdulillah, the results have always been good and met my expectations,” Nana said.
Pilmapres is not the only competition Nana has participated in. The Environmental Geography student has frequently competed at both national and international levels.
Among her achievements was becoming the Grand Winner at the International Student Conference on Asia Africa Studies (ISCAAS) in 2022. Additionally, Nana actively participates in volunteer activities.
Her passion for the environment, particularly climate change issues, led Nana to international student conferences. In 2022, she was one of eight panelists at the California Youth Leadership Summit. Nana also participated in the Airlangga International Conference 2023, organized by the Model United Nations (MUN).
Nana and two other Indonesian students developed solutions. They exchanged perspectives with students from different countries to address climate change issues. Nana, along with two other international students, won 2nd place in this conference as Best Delegate.
As an outstanding student, Nana’s activities are not limited to UGM. This year, she participated in the Temasek Foundation – Leadership Enrichment and Regional Networking (TF-LEaRN) Programme 2024 at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Nana engaged in programs that trained leadership skills, environmental sustainability, and cultural awareness there.
Author: Tiefani
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif