From Sweat and Struggle to a Master's Degree: A Journey of Uplifting Family Dignity
My name is Siti Maghfiroh, but people more commonly call me Sima. There is a reason for this nickname; in the real world, the name ‘Siti Maghfiroh’ is incredibly common. Back in vocational school, there were five students named Siti in the same class, and two even shared the exact same name!
A similar story repeated when I worked in kindergartens and tutoring centres—the owners were also named Siti Maghfiroh. Because so many people share this name, finding my digital footprint or searching for my real name is quite difficult. That is how the name Sima was born, becoming the identity of my struggle.
My life and educational journey have never been smooth or filled with abundance. Growing up as the eldest daughter of eight siblings in a family that had to work every day just to survive, I became accustomed to responsibility from an early and early age. Within every exhausting step of that process, there was one unextinguishable determination: to survive, to complete my education as high as possible, and to uplift my family’s dignity.
The phase of pursuing my Bachelor of Management (S1) at Pamulang University (UNPAM) was the battlefield that most tested my physical and mental strength. During that time, exhaustion was not an option. I carried the role of the family breadwinner—struggling to fund my own studies, helping my parents, and paying for my siblings’ schooling. I undertook various honest jobs without shame.
My days were filled with various professions to make ends meet and fund my studies: working as a laundry worker; serving as a sales promotion girl (SPG) until being trusted with a leadership position in a fashion brand; working as a private tutor, kindergarten teacher, and toddler educator; and working as a flower shop admin, a street food stall attendant, and an online motorcycle taxi driver.
My entrepreneurial spirit continued to pulse amidst my busy lecture schedule. In addition to online selling, selling ornamental plants, and routinely using WhatsApp to manage pre-orders, I also sold homemade traditional snacks by walking from class to class at the UNPAM Central campus—persistently climbing stairs from the 1st to the 6th floor.
However, great struggles are often tested at the lowest points. Amidst the intensity of my undergraduate studies, I fell ill. With a heavy heart, I was forced to sell my beloved motorcycle to afford my graduation fees because my health forced me to resign from my permanent job. Although my employer had kindly offered flexibility for me to rest without quitting, I chose the path of survival by returning to odd jobs to focus on both my recovery and completing my degree.
From that hard work, I funded my own studies and supported two of my siblings. Although my brother was unable to complete his studies and only reached the 4th semester, I am grateful that my sister and I both successfully completed our Bachelor’s degrees. I also managed this responsibility alongside my parents in our village; the money I regularly sent was rotated with their income to fund my other siblings’ schooling from kindergarten to high school.
A profound sense of emotion overwhelmed me when that period of struggle bore fruit on 14 August 2023, when I officially completed my Bachelor of Management at Pamulang University. Tears flowed, remembering the sweat and toil that accompanied every step towards that graduation cap.
After completing my undergraduate degree, a new chapter opened. I dedicated myself to working as a junior high school teacher, sharing social studies knowledge while instilling character values in my students. At the same time, the entrepreneurial world I started through ‘Aneka Jaya Baru’ continued to grow. My homemade snack products, such as Morsit, Makaroni, and Kripik Sima, passed the second curation stage and entered the Lebstore UNPAM Central outlets, continuing to the UNPAM Viktor branch, and eventually expanding to the UNPAM SMK Lebstore. Additionally, other creative business lines such as Bukuet Sima, Hantaran Sima, and Sima Pure Forest Honey have become part of my journey towards independence.
“For me and my siblings in the future, I sincerely hope you can work hard to achieve your dreams. While education is not the only guarantee of success, it can broaden one’s perspective and provide peace of mind. Remember—the knowledge you seek will surely be beneficial, sooner or later.”
Driven by a burning passion for learning, I did not stop at the bachelor’s level. I decided to challenge myself again by enrolling in the Master of Management (S2) postgraduate programme at Pamulang University. However, this advanced study journey was again tested by physical and mental trials that were not easy. Entering the second semester, I fell ill again due to severe dehydration. At that time, despair crept in, and my interest in continuing my education nearly collapsed. However, thanks to the incredible moral support from my family, close friends, and lecturers who constantly motivated me, I rose again.