Papuana Rosalia Petegau, 23, is one of the 2,049 bachelor and applied bachelor graduates conferred by UGM on Wednesday (Nov. 20).
Earning a Bachelor of Animal Science degree is a special joy for this girl from Mappi Regency, South Papua Province.
For Petegau, completing her undergraduate studies at the UGM Faculty of Animal Science (Animal Science UGM) is a great achievement, especially considering her long journey to this point.
The second of three siblings, she is thankful for the opportunity to study at UGM, particularly since she has now graduated from one of the best universities in the country.
“I am very grateful to be part of the UGM Faculty of Animal Science family. I’ve gained so much from here,” said Petegau on Thursday (Nov. 21).
Petegau shared that being accepted as a student at UGM in 2020 was one of her dreams that had come true. During her time at SMA Negeri 1 Edera Bade Mappi, she had to walk 12 kilometers to reach her school. Given her family’s modest circumstances, she endured this without complaint.
“Yes, walking. School started at 7:30 AM, so I had to leave home at 5:30 AM,” she recalled.
Her father is a farmer who occasionally worked odd jobs as a baggage handler at the port. Meanwhile, her mother had passed away, leaving her to be raised solely by her father.
Despite coming from a humble background, Petegau never lost hope in achieving her dreams. She remained passionate about her studies. After graduating in 2019, she chose not to enroll in college immediately but instead took private lessons in Yogyakarta for a year.
In 2020, she was finally accepted into the Faculty of Animal Science at UGM through the independent admission exam.
“Coincidentally, only two people from my high school were accepted into UGM,” she said.
When she started her life in Yogyakarta, Petegau admitted that she initially struggled to socialize due to language barriers. This was one of the challenges she faced during her studies at UGM.
Nevertheless, she learned a lot and frequently asked her fellow students for help, especially when she did not understand the language, particularly Javanese.
“I learned a lot from my fellow students,” she said.
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Petegau plans to return to Mappi, South Papua, to serve her hometown.
She is eager to help develop her region and is particularly enthusiastic about improving cattle farming there. This is a reasonable goal, as cattle in her area are poorly cared for.
“The cattle are just left to fend for themselves, finding whatever food they can. If they get sick, they eventually die. I feel challenged to learn how to properly care for cattle,” she explained.
Reporter: Animal Science UGM/Satria
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya