Avellyn Yoan Wiratan, a 23-year-old graduate from Banda Aceh, was named the highest-achieving graduate of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in the Applied Bachelor’s Program with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.96.
She received her degree during the graduation ceremony held on Thursday (Aug. 28) at Grha Sabha Pramana. In comparison, the average GPA of the 514 graduates from the Applied Bachelor’s Program in this period was 3.68.
Avellyn expressed her gratitude for the accomplishment. She recalled how her parents were initially concerned when she first moved to Yogyakarta to pursue her studies. Fortunately, they never pressured her to achieve high grades; instead, they encouraged her to always do her best.
“What I have achieved is a way for me to say thank you. Allowing me to study at UGM was the right decision,” she said with a smile on Monday (Sep. 1).
During her 3 years and 11 months of study in the Agro-industrial Product Development Program at the UGM’s Vocational College (SV UGM), Avellyn was actively involved in student organizations, including the Buddhist Student Family (Kamadhis) and the Agro-industrial Student Community.
These experiences helped her develop skills in communication and collaboration with fellow students. Her busiest semesters were the fourth and fifth, when she served as a research assistant to lecturers, participated in the Student Creativity Program (PKM), and worked as a practicum assistant.
“The main challenge I faced was time management, which often led to a lack of rest and a slight drop in my GPA,” she recalled.
After gradually adapting and learning better time management, Avellyn continued her studies in the sixth semester with a four-month self-arranged internship. This opportunity allowed her to gain new insights and practical experience in real workplace settings.
In the seventh semester, she joined the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) program in New Zealand, which she described as the happiest and most eye-opening period of her studies.
“Apparently, learning is not limited to classrooms. We often went on field trips to farms, forests, conservation sites, and other places, where we learned directly from landowners,” she explained.
Reaching this milestone, Avellyn feels grateful to have studied at UGM’s Vocational College, which provided her with numerous opportunities for competitions, internships, and research.
She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her parents for accompanying her throughout her journey, as well as to the lecturers who continuously supported and guided her from the Student Creativity Program through to her final project.
Author: Alena Damaris
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya Arifadi
Photographs: Avellyn Yoan Wiratan