Rejected Nine Times, UNU Jogja PGSD Alumna Wins Stefan Banach Scholarship to Study in Poland

Yogyakarta, Indonesia — Pursuing a degree abroad has been a long-held dream of Greece Mutia. The 2021 alumna of the Primary School Teacher Education (PGSD) Study Program at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) began preparing for postgraduate study while still an undergraduate, after receiving the Future Leader Scholarship.

Greece has now achieved her goal of studying at the University of Wroclaw in Poland, where she is pursuing a degree in Applied Social and Intercultural Studies (ASIS) through the Stefan Banach Scholarship.

She prepared gradually by learning foreign languages, saving part of her scholarship allowance, and participating in volunteer activities. Before graduating, Greece had already obtained an IELTS certificate as part of her preparation for scholarship applications.

“Since I started studying at UNU Jogja and received the scholarship, I have always set aside time to learn foreign languages, especially for IELTS preparation. I also saved part of my monthly Future Leader Scholarship allowance and participated in volunteering activities,” she said on Friday, October 9.

However, her journey to studying in Poland was far from easy. Over eight months, Greece applied for 10 scholarship programs and faced nine rejections from opportunities across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

Throughout the process, she continued working as a teacher while preparing for IELTS and completing application documents. Managing her time between work and scholarship preparation was one of her biggest challenges.

To overcome this, Greece actively sought advice from scholarship recipients, or awardees, to better understand the selection process and requirements of her target programs. She also relied on her English proficiency, academic performance, motivation letter writing skills, and confidence throughout the application process.

Beyond academics, Greece gained valuable experience through a student exchange program in Merauke, an internship at Stechoq Academy, and work as an English teacher. These experiences contributed to her personal and professional development during her undergraduate studies.

UNU Jogja’s Support and Her Aspiration to Build a School

Greece believes that the Future Leader Scholarship from UNU Jogja played an important role in helping her pursue further studies abroad. From the beginning of her undergraduate studies, she saved part of her monthly allowance to cover IELTS preparation, scholarship research, and application documents.

She also credits UNU Jogja’s academic and social environment with broadening her horizons and helping her understand global perspectives. These experiences provided a valuable foundation for pursuing further education overseas.

After completing her studies in Poland, Greece hopes to establish a school in Lampung, Indonesia. She aims to turn the knowledge and experience gained through her international education into a meaningful contribution to the development of education in her home country.

Mustamid, a lecturer in UNU Jogja’s PGSD Study Program, praised Greece’s determination to pursue further studies abroad. He described her as an active and organized student throughout her undergraduate years. In his view, her consistency in learning and personal development helped prepare her to secure a scholarship to continue her studies in Poland.

Reporter: Latifah