A team of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) students consisting of Annisa Dini Kamila from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB UGM), Class of 2022, and Ananda Deriolla from the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FK-KMK UGM), Class of 2024, won the overall championship at the Nutrifood Leadership Awards, held from Sep. 29 to Oct. 2, 2025, in Jakarta.
The team outperformed selected delegates from various universities, including Universitas Indonesia (UI), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD), IPB University, Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP), and others.
Initiated by Nutrifood, the program aims to recognize Indonesian students with strong leadership potential. Throughout the event, the UGM team earned the titles of the most inspiring group and the most inspiring contributor at the Nutrifood Leadership Awards 2025.
To achieve these accomplishments, Kamila and Deriolla acknowledged that extensive preparation was required through a long and rigorous process. Competing against thousands of applicants, they advanced to the national level and ultimately secured the championship.
The selection process began with document screening and essay submissions, from which 50 top candidates were selected to attend auditions in four cities: Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya.
Following the auditions, 20 finalists from across Indonesia were chosen to participate in leadership training and a social project challenge in Jakarta from Sep. 29 to Oct. 2, 2025.
During the social project stage, participants were divided into four groups.
Kamila and Deriolla were selected for the health sector, collaborating with Rumah Harapan Indonesia alongside three other participants: Cinta from Prasetiya Mulya University, Sharon from IPB University, and Sulton from Universitas Airlangga.
The health-focused social project, themed connecting of happiness, emphasized synergy and resulted in several initiatives, including the Galeri Milestone Museum Sejarah Kesehatan Rumah Harapan Indonesia, a profile video of Rumah Harapan Indonesia, a policy brief submitted to the local Health Office, a Sahabat Rumah Harapan Indonesia membership card, as well as the RHI Rangers teaching program and medical check-up activities.
Their success was not without challenges. Differences in academic backgrounds, universities, and cohorts often made it difficult to coordinate schedules. Kamila and Deriolla explained that they frequently relied on online meetings to bridge distance and manage their activities.
“Given that we were often in different locations, we had to rely heavily on online meetings to plan our programs and consult with mentors. Communication truly became the most important factor and a challenge in itself, both internally and externally,” Deriolla said on Monday (Jan. 12).
The various projects and programs were designed to promote sustainability and meaningful contributions in the fields of history, health, and education, emphasizing that impact should not be limited to health practices alone but also pursued through advocacy and dialogue to ensure continuity.
This experience proved invaluable for both students. Beyond competing for achievement, Kamila said her participation served as a learning platform to prepare her to become a future leader.
“Here, I learned deeply about the theme of our social project, connecting happiness, which we developed together,” she said.
At the grand finale on Oct. 2, 2025, the UGM delegation in the health team was announced as the winner of the most inspiring group and the most inspiring contribution.
Their challenging journey ultimately led Kamila and Deriolla to become overall champions at the Nutrifood Leadership Awards. Through this achievement, they encouraged others to continue learning and striving wherever they may be.
“Keep learning in any situation, because learning is not limited to formal education; we can learn anywhere,” Deriolla concluded.
Author: Salwa
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Salma
Photographs: Kamila and Deriolla