Rahmat Putra Yudha is a high-achieving teacher at SMPN 13 Pontianak, West Kalimantan, full of accomplishments. Since the pandemic restricted the movement of teachers, Yudha responded by creating a virtual educator program for teachers and lecturers. The program aims to provide training for educators in using and maximizing distance learning (PJJ) due to the pandemic.
"We successfully created a program through virtual means. We trained in various educational platforms in PJJ, from creating questions, virtual media, to animations that teachers can learn to make learning more engaging," explained Yudha, who is actively involved in the management of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) in West Kalimantan.
Teachers received many premium accesses from Microsoft to support online learning activities. Teachers also no longer face difficulties in storing teaching materials because they are given five terabytes of online storage.
Yudha's initiative involved assistance from many parties. His lobbying resulted in collaborative work between institutions such as Sebelas Maret University (UNS), the Education Quality Assurance Institute (LPMP) of West Kalimantan, local governments, the LPDP Teachers' Association, and many more.
His contributions led Yudha to receive the IESA (International Education Summit And Award) on December 20, 2020. In 2019, Yudha had previously received the Inspirational Teacher of West Kalimantan award from PGRI for his success in establishing the PGRI Provincial Book Publisher in West Kalimantan and producing many authors. At home, Yudha also runs an English course called Yudha English Gallery.
But what makes Yudha's journey interesting is not just that.
Encountering Obstacles, Overcoming, Shaping
Life that is not fought for cannot be won. For him, a life that occurs only once must leave a legacy for future generations. This is roughly Yudha's principle in pursuing his dream of getting a scholarship to study abroad. For Yudha, life is about leaving a legacy for future generations. This is roughly Yudha's principle in pursuing his dream of getting a scholarship to study abroad. Yudha has gone through 118 failed scholarship selections. Hundreds of attempts that undoubtedly sacrificed time, energy, and sweat.
Yudha started applying for scholarships in 2007, shortly after completing his undergraduate studies. When he became a teacher and was appointed as a civil servant in 2009, Yudha practically had no other choice but to continue pursuing scholarships if he wanted to continue studying abroad.
Registration after registration continued. "I applied for almost every scholarship in the world that offered a full scholarship, and on average, I ended up in an interview. From there, I honed my communication skills in expressing opinions. That there might be shortcomings on my part," said Yudha, who is currently serving as the Chairman of Mata Garuda West Kalimantan.
Until finally, he tried the LPDP scholarship and was accepted. Yudha remembers when the interviewers asked him what if he failed the scholarship selection again. Lightly, he said, "No problem, Sir, and you will meet me again to apply. Because I will not give up. I will definitely try again."
Yudha's dream of studying abroad finally came true. In 2014, Yudha went to Australia to pursue a Master of Education TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Wollongong University.
During the three-month semester break, Yudha chose to remain productive by participating in a lecturer exchange program to Poland during the three-month semester break. Of course, this activity was with LPDP's permission.
Even in that short time, he claimed to have helped form the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) in Poland. It was a memorable experience that made this English teacher beam with joy when recalling it.
"Life is short, and I need to leave a legacy for my descendants. So I need to be someone different and be a source of character that they can learn and make an example," said Yudha, who once worked part-time as a parking attendant from high school to college.
For Yudha, LPDP is a scholarship that is very suitable for those who care about building the nation through social contributions. Just as Yudha has done with various social activities and dedications to many people.