Goodwill hunting: Profiles of the students<\/p>\n
Muhamad Syafril (Pii to his friends), 24, comes from Bangka
\nIsland. His father is a tin miner, his mother a homemaker. The
\neldest of four graduated in 2003 from University of Indonesia
\n(UI) School of Dentistry. In 2002, he was awarded the 2002
\nnational award for academic excellence. He practices every Monday
\nat Global Doctor and tutors two Gandhi Memorial International
\nSchool students every evening.<\/p>\n
On Goodwill: Aside from financial support, the scholarship
\ntraining program provides a platform for sharing between students
\nwith a similar background. And the English language courses give
\nus a chance to study with native speakers.<\/p>\n
The program also provides role models through their
\ncommitment. I remember one trainer, Julie. She said, 'See this
\nrubbish? It won't leave my hand until it reaches a rubbish bin'.
\nIt's not just the training -- the sponsors, trainers, they're an
\ninspiration. They just give, and don't want anything in return.<\/p>\n
On family: My father said to me, \"I can't give you anything\"
\n-- you know, no money, no land -- \"except education\". He was the
\none who urged me to go to Jakarta and go as far as I could with
\nmy education. He didn't want me to be a tin miner like him.<\/p>\n
Dreams\/goals: A goal? Well, I'd like to continue my studies
\noverseas -- lots of (Goodwill) alumni want to do the same. Why
\noverseas? Well, I can broaden my mind and pursue advanced
\nsciences. As for a dream, I'd like to implement a health program
\nat a basic (grassroots) level to help people. Well, on a national
\nscale if I can, but that's a really big dream. Maybe impossible.
\nSo I'll start small, in a community, a village.<\/p>\n
Personal motto: Be happy, no matter what happens.<\/p>\n
Nanang Siswanto, 24, comes from a farming family in Madiun,
\nEast Java, and is the youngest of six. His father passed away
\nlast August. He graduated from Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB)
\nin 2003 with a degree in Forest Product Technology and worked 10
\nmonths as a lecturer at the University of North Sumatra, Medan.
\nHe is now at Unilever as a marketing management trainee.<\/p>\n
On Goodwill: When I was a lecturer, I tried to impart all the
\ntraining I got from ICAC (now Goodwill). It's important not to
\nfocus only on our studies, but to develop a comprehensive view
\nbeyond our own scope -- a helicopter view.<\/p>\n
The training gave us job interviewing skills and helped my
\nself-confidence, also communication skills. It really gave me
\nconfidence to talk to foreigners in English and so I decided to
\napply to Unilever.<\/p>\n
I'm proud of my training, and I'm always telling my friends
\nand colleagues about the program. At my office, we have casual
\nFridays, and I often wear my ICAC T-shirt ...<\/p>\n
On family: My parents are just small farmers, but they sent me
\nto the best schools in Madiun, and my brother and sister in
\nBogor, they have their own families but supported me, too. I want
\nto be independent, improve myself and improve my family's
\nsituation. Now, my mother can say to her neighbors, \"I may be
\njust a small farmer, but look at my son -- he went to
\nuniversity\".<\/p>\n
Dreams\/goals: I want to prove myself through my effort and be
\nuseful for myself and others around me as ICAC did. I'd like to
\nhave a business of my own one day and contribute to the community
\n-- I'm learning now about business through experience.<\/p>\n
Personal motto: Everything can be achieved if you want, desire
\nit, through strength and taking opportunities. If you go willing
\nfrom your heart, you can succeed with effort, and even weaknesses
\ncan become strengths.<\/p>\n
Akbar Meirio, 26, is from Sukapura, North Jakarta. His father,
\nnow retired, was a gatekeeper at port authority PT Pelindo II;
\nhis mother is a homemaker. Akbar is the only son of three
\nchildren. He went to a technical high school and worked two years
\nat Toshiba before entering the International Relations program at
\nUI, and supported himself by fixing electronic appliances from
\nhome until he received Goodwill sponsorship. Akbar was awarded
\nlast year the Dean's Award for best cumulative GPA and is in his
\nfinal year at UI.<\/p>\n
On Goodwill: The scholarship is useful and helpful. Because of
\nthe financial support, I was able to focus on my studies, and it
\nalso gave me the opportunity to enjoy campus life. I'm now active
\nin the Islamic Study Forum, which is concerned with Islam in a
\nsocial sciences context, the student study club Eka Prasetya,
\nwhich focuses on research and socio-political issues. I think
\nthese may help approach religion in a social context toward
\ninternational understanding. And last year, I was able to go on
\nan ASEAN-Korea exchange program for one semester to Dae Jong
\nUniversity.<\/p>\n
On family: My parents have always supported our education, but
\nthere was no money. They always said, though, that if you really
\nwant and really try, you can make it.<\/p>\n
Dreams\/goals: I would like to go for a Masters in
\nInternational Relations, studying abroad if possible. I'll try to
\nget a scholarship. A dream, well... I want to be a diplomat. And
\nthis is a really big dream, but I'd like to be the Indonesian
\nambassador to the United Nations....
\nPersonal motto: I believe that if you do the best, you can get
\nthe best.<\/p>\n
Lenny Junyanty, 22, is from Kota, West Jakarta. Her father is a
\nbiro jasa, providing a service in obtaining official documents
\nsuch as drivers' licenses and ID cards, her mother is a
\nhomemaker. The eldest of four, Lenny is in her final year of UI's
\nPsychology program with a focus on educational psychology, and is
\na member of a Buddhist students organization.<\/p>\n
On Goodwill: The program has really helped with my education.
\nMy father's work is not stable -- his income is not steady, and
\ndepends on how many orders come in -- so I was worried I might
\nneed to drop out to support my parents.<\/p>\n
I'm a ... well, I call myself a scholarship hunter, and I can
\nsay there are no scholarships like this one....<\/p>\n
Last year, I got the chance to join Prestasi Junior
\nInternational -- it's affiliated with Junior Achievement
\nInternational, which offers economic experiential education and
\neducational opportunities abroad. I was chosen to be the
\nIndonesian representative and went to the international student
\nconference in Chicago, but I think that was the final conference.
\nThere's no more funding.<\/p>\n
This year, I'm applying to AEIJ, an Indonesia-Japan exchange
\nprogram with a maximum 10-month program.<\/p>\n
On family: My family is ... well, I'm Chinese, you see, but
\nnot rich. There are lots of Chinese with underprivileged
\nbackgrounds. My parents support my education, especially my
\nmother. She's a terrific woman. I don't know how she did it, but
\nshe is very efficient with the little my father makes so that we
\ncould always eat three times a day and go to school, and even buy
\nnew clothes for New Year's.<\/p>\n
Dreams\/goals: I want to be involved in education. My long-term
\ngoal, well, I want to have my own school or help at a junior high
\nor elementary school, develop a curriculum.<\/p>\n
So I need to make stepping stones. After I graduate, I'd like
\nto join a consulting firm. That way, I can increase my knowledge,
\nlearning, skills and network ...<\/p>\n
Personal motto: If I know there is a need, I can fulfill it.
\nIf I am able to do it on my own, I'll do it; if I need help, I'll
\nask for it. If there's a chance, I'm willing to try.<\/p>\n
Hendry Yamin, 22, is from Central Jakarta. His father is a
\nprivate driver, his mother a homemaker, both with elementary
\nschool educations. Hendry's older brother dropped out of school
\nto get a job and support the family. His younger sister is in
\nhigh school. He is in his final year at UI, pursuing a degree in
\nBusiness Administration, and is research and development
\ncoordinator of the Mangga Dua University Students' Association,
\nwhich provides free English and computer lessons to unemployed
\nadults and Mangga Dua dropouts.<\/p>\n
On Goodwill: The scholarship program not only give financial
\nsupport, but training for leadership skills. They provide
\ndifferent programs, like English conversation, how to make
\nproposals, CVs, interviewing skills. It teaches how to be an
\nindependent person.<\/p>\n
I think I'm a more open-minded person (now). And it helped
\nwith socializing, especially in a social environment, in the
\ncommunity. It also teaches about friendship, in relationships, to
\nmake them bigger, to spread.<\/p>\n
On family: They always give support for higher education, even
\nto borrowing from our relatives. They're concerned about their
\nchildren's education. They don't want their children to have the
\nsame life as them.<\/p>\n
Dreams\/goals: A goal... I would say I have a vision. I would
\nlike to be a knowledgeable, social, independent person. I'm maybe
\ninterdependent now.<\/p>\n
In the short-term, I want to find a good career for the next
\n20 years and help many foundations with a core competence in
\nscholarships to needy students in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Personal motto: As human beings, we have to take care of our
\nsociety, not just to satisfy ourselves, but try to understand our
\nsociety's needs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/goodwill-hunting-profiles-of-the-students-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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