IISMA 2022 is a new yet prestigious program which has currently been done for 2 years and held by The Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC) of Indonesia. While young, this program has already been the apple of the Indoneesian college students’ eyes. This is not without a cause, since the program accomodates a fully funded scolarship to designated colleges abroad for students who have what it takes. For me personally, I have kept an eye for the program since the first it was launched, and has already been my long life goal.
Since the first year of IISMA 2022 Program launched, I have kept my eyes on it and tried my very best to succeed in the program. I gave all I had to succeed, and ditched my organizarions in order to stay focused on the program. But unfortunately, it was not good enough in the eyes of the selection commitee. I did not make it. I failed lots of people who were counting on me, and let them down. I felt depressed, did not know what I’d do for my future. It was devastating for my mental health, and I tried to cope with it for a full year. And alas, during the second year, I made it.
During the 2nd year of IISMA, I managed to pass the IISMA selection and awarded to University of Zagreb with 9 other awardee from across the country. It was a dream come true as if all of my past burden have been lifted and all my failures have been redeemed, and safe to say it is the greatest achievement I have obtained so far in my life. But I did not make it on my own. There are lots of exquisite people who supported me from the ground up, which mostly are my family, friends, OIA UM, and The Management Department.
Since the first year of IISMA, The Management Department has given all the IISMA nominee a firm nudge to boost the morale of the nominees. They encourage the nominee to dream big, and paved the way for us to ease up the path to our dreams. They do this by assigning several lecturers to guide us through the administrative requirements, which could be a hassle oftentimes. Apart from it, the lecturers also gave us countless of mentoring sessions, which was essential for my triumph. And also, there is The OIA UM.
The Office of International Affairs (OIA) UM is basically the one held accountable for the whole process of IISMA in each Universities. Through the thick and thin of the IISMA process, which was approximately 4 months only for the selection process, and another 2 months for the pre-departure process for those who passed, The OIA facilitated the majority of the nominee’s requirements. That including countless of legal paperworks, funding English Proficiency Test for the whole nominees, 24/7 supportive Liaison Officers, and other things impossible to recall.
IISMA 2022 is a prestigious program who gets more and more recognition by Indonesian college students each year. So many of us dream of being in another hemisphere, far away from the life as we know it. Yet, only several of us actually made that dream come true. It’s all thanks to The MoEC who orchestrated such a breaktrough which, like IISMA slogan, made us to “Be Bold to Go Abroad”. All in all, I bid my utmost gratitude for all people who wholeheartedly aided not just me, but every dreamer who tried his very best to not letting his dream be dream. As for those who failed along the process, know that by competing in IISMA, you are the victor of your own fear, fear of dreaming. Dream on, dream far.