Be Proud! 10 Indonesian Students From Papua In The US Graduated In The Midst Of A Pandemic

A total of 10 Indonesian students from Papua graduated from Corban University, Salem in the state of Oregon, United States and graduated on Saturday (7/5/2022). (ANTARA/HO-KJRI San Francisco)

JAKARTA - A total of 10 Indonesian students from Papua graduated from Corban University, Salem in the state of Oregon, the United States in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ten Indonesian students who graduated on Saturday, May 7, came from various regions in Papua and during their studies in the US received support for the Special Autonomy (Otsus) scholarship for the Papua Provincial Government, according to a statement from the Indonesian Consulate General in San Francisco received in Jakarta, Monday, May 9.

The Papuan students are part of about 240 students who graduated and graduated in the first semester of this year at the university.

"We all feel happy and proud because a number of the nation's best sons and daughters have graduated, and this shows that perseverance and discipline in studying will produce the expected results," said the Indonesian Consul General in San Francisco, Prasetyo Hadi, who attended the graduation ceremony to fulfill invitation from the university was reported by Antara.

Even though they had experienced big challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the graduates from Papua finally proved their hard work in completing their studies at one of the best universities in Salem City.

They managed to graduate and adapt while studying abroad, and achieved proud achievements, said the Indonesian Consulate General in San Francisco.

The moment of graduation is the most awaited moment for Papuan students, and the Consulate General in San Francisco was also present on the graduation day to complete their happiness.

"The presence of the Indonesian Consulate General in San Francisco is like the presence of parents for us because this graduation, there are no parents in Indonesia who come to the United States because there are still limitations due to the pandemic," said Nathanael Alvin Affar, one of the participants who graduated from the media arts major.

The ten Papuan graduates are also part of about 28 Papuan youths who were sent to study in the state of Oregon with the support of scholarships from the special autonomy fund.

Since the scholarship program was launched, there have been no less than a thousand recipients of scholarships for Papuan students and around 600 of them have studied abroad, including in Oregon, United States of America.

One of the graduates named Milda Kogoya expressed her desire to be part of an agent of change that provides benefits for development and progress in Papua and in Indonesia.

Several other graduates, such as Deswan Wanimbo and Aimur Pagawak, expressed their desire to be able to continue their studies at the S2 and even S3 levels.

The program for sending Papuan students abroad, especially in the United States, is an effort to improve human resources for the sons and daughters of the Papua region.

"They are the future of Indonesia, it is hoped that after graduation they can make their best contribution to the development of Indonesia in general and Papua in particular," said Consul General Prasetyo.