Yosia Deby Septiyawati Hasibuan had to look at her screen several times to convince herself that she had been admitted into the UGM Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing.
She couldn’t believe she was now a Nutrition and Health student, having been admitted through the academic excellence-based entrance selection (SNBP).
Studying at UGM had been a long-held dream for Yosia and her elder sister. Despite their family’s modest economic means, they shared a big goal of attending the best university as a stepping stone toward success.
Four years earlier, Yosia’s older sister attempted to attend UGM through each admission pathway but failed. Her sister’s failure motivated Yosia to strive harder; she realized she could keep her family’s dreams alive.
“I didn’t know much about colleges when I was younger, but I was aware of UGM’s quality. I, therefore, had aspirations to attend UGM ever since I was a little child, especially since my sister also desired to do so. I was much more inspired to attend UGM because my sister wasn’t admitted. At the very least, one of us would succeed,” she added.
Yosia’s achievement brought happiness to both her parents and their extended family. Their joy was further heightened when they learned that Yosia had been selected as a recipient of a 100% tuition subsidy, exempting her from tuition fees.
Yosia’s family doesn’t have a consistent monthly income. Her father moved from his hometown in Tapanuli to Java decades ago, hoping to find a decent job. He eventually had to accept that success wasn’t as easily attainable.
From Jakarta to Kediri, where he moved after the 1998 monetary crisis, Yosia’s father frequently did odd jobs. In recent years, he earned money from buying and selling second-hand goods or helping source specific items with minimal commissions.
Experiencing the bitter challenge of finding work strengthened his resolve and that of his wife to strive for their children to obtain bachelor’s degrees. Yet, their feelings were mixed when they saw their two children having big dreams of studying at UGM. They tried to remain supportive, although they secretly worried about the costs of education.
They might need to find additional income or take out loans to fund Yosia’s education at a prestigious university. They never imagined that they would witness their child receiving an education at the best university without paying a single rupiah for tuition.
“We encouraged our children to study but hoped they understood our situation. We were happy but scared when we learned Yosia was accepted into UGM. We never expected to be granted a 100% subsidy; this is an incredible blessing from God,” said Indah, Yosia’s mother.
It wasn’t easy for Indah to let her youngest child move to Yogyakarta, but she recognized that Yosia’s bold step would lead to great good. She didn’t have excessive demands or high expectations for Yosia. She only wanted Yosia to successfully pursue her studies at UGM and eventually secure a proper job in the healthcare sector or perhaps even open her clinic, as Yosia aspired to.
“We only ask our children to strive for better jobs to help the family in the future. That’s our only hope,” Indah explained.
Author: Gloria