ITS Campus, ITS News — Among the thousands of togas that color the ITS Grha Sepuluh Nopember, there are two figures who prove that age never limits the enthusiasm for learning. Rochman Sugiarto and Siens Harianto were awarded as the youngest and oldest graduates at the 133rd Graduation event of Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) on Sunday (19/4).

Being crowned as the youngest graduate at the age of 20 years and 1 month was not an easy journey for Rochman. His fast steps had begun since he was in junior high school. When he was a junior high school student, he participated in an acceleration program that cut his education period to only two years.

Successfully achieving satisfactory accomplishments, this young man from Sidoarjo continued a similar program at the high school level. Armed with unending support from his family, he successfully completed his secondary education in a total of only four years. “Because I was able to survive during junior high school, my parents also supported me to participate in the acceleration during high school,” he explained.

Graduating at a young age, this young man born in 2006 placed great interest in the world of engineering. Just turning 16 years old, he already held the status of a student in the ITS Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Department. Rochman views that this field has promising opportunities in the industrial world, making him not hesitate to choose the major at ITS.

During college, the daily life of this graduate who has a hobby of badminton was not only confined to the classroom. Balancing academic and non-academic rhythms, he was active in various organizations and committees as well as being a laboratory assistant. “The main challenge is indeed in how to divide time, but I enjoy the process that I undergo,” recalled the young man who aspires to become an engineer in the oil and gas or mining field.

As a closing to his study period, this only child raised a final project (TA) topic related to photocatalyst materials. Departing from his concern regarding carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, Rochman researched the conversion of this gas into valuable materials. Utilizing cellulose nanocrystals, ZIF-8, and CuO, he formulated CO2 into methanol. His diligence and discipline yielded good results through the magna cum laude predicate with an achieved GPA of 3.77.

Opposite to Rochman’s story, Siens Harianto is present to show that the enthusiasm for learning cannot be extinguished by age. This man born in Bandung started his Technology Management doctoral education at the ITS Interdisciplinary School of Management and Technology (SIMT) at the age of 59. Recorded as the first batch, he successfully obtained his doctoral degree at the age of 65 by achieving a GPA of 3.67 with a highly satisfactory predicate.

Despite studying at an old age, Siens’ motivation is rooted in a noble intention. His desire arose from the thought of being a lifelong seeker of knowledge. In line with his worship and beliefs, he stated that the Creator promises an easy path to heaven for those who are loyal in seeking knowledge. “I also want to provide a legacy for my children and grandchildren,” added the man born on April 23, 1961.

Although appearing tough, the academic journey of this PT Indal Steel Pipe Technical Advisor did not always run smoothly. He faced challenges in choosing his dissertation theme. At almost every examination level, Siens always overhauled his theme. These challenges became heavier due to his declining motoric and memory conditions, but his persistence did not dim. “With difficulty, I gathered argument after argument so that they were arranged into a dissertation,” he expressed in relief.

From their study experiences, Rochman and Siens leave a message for students to continue maintaining enthusiasm and consistency. Both hope that students can create brilliant achievements while attending college. This is also in line with the effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) point 4 regarding Quality Education and point 9 regarding Infrastructure, Industry, and Innovation. (ITS PUBLIC RELATIONS)

Reporter: Jecklin Chintya Galle Djami