Meriel Tosca couldn’t hide her joy after participating in the undergraduate graduation ceremony at UGM Campus on Wednesday (Feb. 2) at Grha Sabha Pramana.
Her smile beamed with happiness. Tosca was among the 1,408 bachelor’s and applied bachelor’s graduates. This graduation ceremony included 34 graduates from Indonesia’s disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas.
Tosca, who hails from Sorong City, Southwest Papua, successfully completed her studies at UGM’s Faculty of Psychology.
She expressed gratitude for receiving the Higher Education Affirmation Scholarship (ADik) from the Ministry of Higher Education.
Thanks to this scholarship, Tosca became the only student from Papua in the Faculty of Psychology.
“I thank the Ministry of Education and UGM for supporting my studies at the Faculty of Psychology, and I hope I can contribute to the development of Papua,” said Tosca.
Cultural differences between Papua and Java posed a unique challenge for Tosca during her early university years in Yogyakarta.
This prompted her to adjust her communication style when interacting with friends from other regions.
“I eventually softened my tone and became calmer in expressing myself,” she recalled.
Tosca believes that if someone is placed somewhere, a divine plan always accompanies them.
“I’m grateful that what I have now is part of God’s plan,” she said.
In addition to Tosca, the ADik scholarship also supported Meidelyne Ayomi in pursuing her university education.
Ayomi, a Regional and Urban Planning Study Program student at UGM’s Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM), received the ADik scholarship from the ministry in 2020.
Hailing from Papua, Ayomi received information about the scholarship from her high school, SMA Negeri 3 Jayapura.
Her determination to pursue education paid off when she secured a place at UGM.
While at the university, Ayomi faced several challenges, particularly in keeping up with her classmates’ academic pace.
As an engineering student, she not only attended lectures but also participated in field practices. Furthermore, the difference in educational quality between Papua and Java required her to study harder while at UGM.
“To overcome these challenges, I constantly asked my peers for help and actively participated in tutorials,” she said.
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Ayomi hopes to continue her education to a higher level and deepen her expertise in urban planning.
She advised students from the 3T regions who are still pursuing their studies to stay motivated and not hesitate to seek help.
“Stay motivated, and if you encounter difficulties, don’t forget to ask for help,” she concluded.
Author: Tiefany
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographer: Firsto