Mohamad Hilmi when conveying his impressions and messages during his studies at the 132nd ITS Graduation ceremony

ITS Campus, ITS News –  Growing up in a humble family didn’t stop Mohamad Hilmi from excelling, achieving a high cumulative grade point average (GPA) at the 132nd Graduation Ceremony of the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) . The young man, who received the Bidikmisi Scholarship for High-Achieving Poor Students, achieved a near-perfect GPA of 3.90, making him the Best Bidikmisi Graduate.

The son of Amin As’ad and Sukiti, Hilmi stated that his family’s financial situation motivated him to apply for the Bidikmisi scholarship. Considering his father’s unemployed condition due to illness and his mother’s work as a barber, Hilmi was determined not to burden his parents with his tuition fees. “My dream is to work in the metallurgical industry,” said the graduate from the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering (DTMM) at ITS.

Sharing flashbacks from his college days, the young man, familiarly known as Hilmi, admitted that his passion for electrical engineering since high school was. He initially felt insecure about entering the ITS Electrical Engineering Department. Therefore, his abilities in Chemistry and Physics encouraged him to enroll in the ITS DTMM. Although it deviated from his initial interests, he strove to understand the material autodidactically to keep up with his peers.

Mohamad Hilmi, the best Bidikmisi graduate with a near-perfect GPA of 3.90 after being inaugurated at the 132nd ITS Graduation ceremony

Furthermore, this graduate, who entered ITS through the Joint Selection for State Universities Entrance (SBMPTN), is actively involved in extracurricular activities. He began his active career in the third semester by serving as Secretary of the ITS Integralistic Generation (Gerigi). He was also the Project Officer for Basic Media Schooling (BMS) in the ITS Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Student Association (HMMT). “During college, I was more active in the managerial field than in the scientific field,” he said.

As the semester progresses, the workload increases. This also applies to Hilmi. He admitted to being overwhelmed as a member of the ITS HMMT media information staff, tasked with delivering external and internal departmental information. However, the Jombang-born graduate continues to prioritize academics. “After completing assignments or projects, I then continue with my HMMT ITS media information responsibilities,” he explained.

Mohamad Hilmi (third from the back left) when participating in the ITS HMMT benchmarking activity with the Surabaya State Polytechnic of Shipbuilding K3 Association (PPNS)

In line with downstreaming, Hilmi’s final project (TA) discusses supercapacitors made from rice husks. The supercapacitor manufacturing process begins with processing rice husks into silica. The silica is then converted into silicon, which will be used as the capacitor electrode material. Through electrochemical tests to determine the performance of the capacitor, he obtained a high capacitance of 146 farads/gram.

Hilmi’s innovation can address humanity’s dependence on fossil fuels. Using rice husks, he can create supercapacitors that store renewable energy such as wind, water, and solar energy. His research journey wasn’t instantaneous; it required a meticulous process to convert rice husks into high-purity silicon. “While completing my final project, I spent four full days in the laboratory,” he explained.

In closing, the young man, born on June 17, 2002, advised other active ITS students to continue expanding their networks and be diligent in their studies. The results of their studies will be as rewarding as the efforts they put in during their studies. Hilmi’s success demonstrates ITS’s commitment to facilitating the development of its students. This aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) point 4, which focuses on quality education. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Ahmad Husein Al Qomary
Translator : Devinka Mutianeira