On Wednesday (Jul. 24), 991 postgraduate students graduated from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) at Grha Sabha Pramana.
Among the 834 Master’s program graduates, Frista Chairunnisa (22) from the Biotechnology program at the UGM Graduate School (SPs UGM) was named the youngest graduate. She completed her degree at 22 years, nine months, and 27 days.
The average age of Master’s program graduates in this period was 29 years, six months, and 15 days.
Chairunnisa, born Aug. 25, 2001, is the eldest of four siblings from Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung. Her parents taught her to read and count from a young age, allowing her to start elementary school at four.
Although she did not participate in an accelerated program, Chairunnisa completed elementary, middle, and high school in standard time. However, she was only 16 when she graduated from high school and enrolled in university.
“I started elementary school at four years old, and I did not take any acceleration programs in middle or high school,” she said.
After earning her Bachelor’s in Biology, Chairunnisa was strongly motivated to pursue a Master’s degree. Her interest in Biotechnology, particularly in cancer research, led her to choose Universitas Gadjah Mada for her postgraduate studies.
“UGM has a cancer research center that actively explores Indonesian natural materials as chemopreventive agents against cancer. I believe Indonesian herbal plants have incredible potential that we can bring to international recognition,” Chairunnisa added.
Pursuing a Master’s degree in Biotechnology at SPs UGM was not without challenges. One significant challenge was mastering the use of laboratory equipment.
“It took me a long time and many failures to produce accurate and reliable data,” said Chairunnisa, who graduated with a GPA of 3.87.
After several attempts, she successfully observed cancer cells for the first time, a pivotal moment in her studies.
“I am grateful to be part of a supportive cancer research group,” she added.
During her Master’s studies, Chairunnisa was involved in several research projects on developing natural materials as anticancer agents. These included assessing the anticancer potential of kirinyuh leaf extract as a cytotoxic agent in combination with doxorubicin on luminal breast cancer cells.
Chairunnisa acknowledged that the support from her parents and academic advisors was crucial to her success. Her professors continually provided guidance and monitored her dissertation research progress.
“They always advised on how to make my work more effective and were patient when I made mistakes,” she added.
After completing her postgraduate studies, Chairunnisa plans to return to Bangka Belitung Province as a lecturer. While teaching, she aims to explore various research areas in biology. She adheres to the principle of remaining humble in learning.
“Never be ashamed to learn from anyone. Be like a cup placed below a teapot so that the water from above can fill it,” sheadvised.
With determination and dedication, Frista Chairunnisa demonstrates that an academic journey full of challenges can be overcome with strong resolve and support from loved ones.
Author: Dita
Editor: Gusti Grehenson