Written by: Fadli Bilal Afifuddin
Scholar Batch: 2024–2025
School: Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, Indonesia
I’ve always believed that learning isn’t limited to the four walls of a classroom. The world is vast, and knowledge can come from anywhere even from people we’ve never met in person. The year 2024/25 became a turning point in my life. For the first time, I joined an international program as a scholar, alongside fellow scholars from other countries.
Throughout this program, I learned a lot ranging from cloud computing and programming to networking. But the most valuable lessons weren’t technical. I learned how to be more confident, adaptable, and resilient even when I felt like I was falling behind.
Imagine this: I was learning side by side with a co-scholar from the Philippines, guided by a mentor who now lives in Denmark. Each of us came from different backgrounds and stories, but we shared one thing in common: A deep hunger for knowledge and a desire to make an impact.
From Doubt to Growth
Before joining this program, I used to ask myself: “I’m just an ordinary student am I even worthy of joining something like this?”
But after taking the leap and going through the process, I realized: Anyone can grow, as long as they have the willingness and determination to learn.
Now, I don’t just learn for myself. I want to share these experiences with my peers here in Indonesia, so they too can dare to dream bigger and take bolder steps forward.
Because for me: “Knowledge isn’t meant to be kept, but to be shared.”
Thank you to ULAP.org and all the incredible mentors who opened this path—for me and for many other amazing scholars.
I’ll continue to learn, share, and contribute so that we can all be ready for the future and compete on the global stage.
