The modest home in Nogotirto, Sleman, serves not only as a residence for Syahla Nabilah Junita Wibawa (19) and her family but also where her mother runs a small food stall to support the household. Her mother, Nurjanah (42), sells meals from a simple eatery located at their home, while her father, Tunggal Mei Lata (43), works as an online motorcycle taxi driver.
Despite financial constraints and an uncertain family income, Syahla grew up believing that education could open broader opportunities. That belief has now led to her admission to the Agricultural Industrial Technology Study Program (TIP) at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FTP UGM), with a 100% subsidized single-tuition-fee scholarship, allowing her to study at UGM free of charge.
Syahla’s admission to UGM through the academic-excellence-based entrance selection (SNBP) pathway was not an overnight accomplishment. Since the 10th grade of high school, she had set a goal of becoming eligible to increase her chances of admission to her dream university, Universitas Gadjah Mada.
She consistently maintained strong academic performance and carefully planned her study program choices based on her interests and abilities.
“From the beginning, I was determined to apply through the SNBP pathway. Since the 10th grade, I worked hard to improve my grades and develop a strategy to increase my chances of being accepted,” she said on Wednesday (Jun. 24).
In choosing her study program, the eldest of four siblings said she considered her interest in food and environmental issues. Although she once aspired to become a nutritionist, she ultimately chose UGM’s TIP Program study because it aligned with both her academic strengths and the field she hopes to pursue in the future.
“I am interested in food and environmental issues. I want to develop something beneficial, especially in waste management and environmental sustainability,” she said.
She achieved success through self-directed learning throughout high school. Although she was offered the opportunity to attend private tutoring, Syahla chose to rely on textbooks and actively ask teachers whenever she encountered material she did not understand. For her, understanding concepts proved to be a more effective learning method than simply memorizing information.
“When there was material I did not understand, I usually asked my teachers. I always tried to understand concepts rather than memorize them,” she explained.
Amid her busy schedule, Syahla also made time to sell cookies through her school canteen. This was not merely a way to spend her free time but an effort to earn additional pocket money and learn independence from an early age. Aware of the sacrifices her parents made to support her and her three siblings, she tried to meet some of her own needs without asking too much from them.
“I wanted to have my own income and not depend too much on my parents,” she said.
Her parents’ hard work became Syahla’s greatest source of motivation to pursue higher education. She said that remembering her father’s and mother’s efforts to provide for the family encouraged her to achieve the best possible academic results.
“I do not want to disappoint my parents because of everything they have done to help me reach this point. That is what motivates me to keep studying,” she said.
Nurjanah expressed gratitude for her eldest daughter’s success in securing acceptance into UGM. According to her, Syahla’s enthusiasm for learning had been evident since elementary school. As a parent, she has always tried to support her daughter’s aspirations despite facing various economic challenges.
“I am very happy that my daughter has such a strong passion for learning and ambitious goals. As a parent, I support whatever aspirations she chooses to pursue,” she said.
She hopes that the education her eldest daughter receives at UGM will equip her with the skills needed to achieve a better future while allowing her to develop her full potential.
“I only want to see my daughter succeed in this world and the hereafter. That is all,” Nurjanah concluded.
Author: Cynthia Noviana
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-Editor: Priyanandaningrat
Photo: Ika Agustine and Courtesy of Syahla