Proud news came again from students of the 12th grade in the 2024/2025 academic year who made extraordinary achievements. Two of Pembangunan Jaya 2 High School students, Hezkiel 25 and Denver ’25, were successfully accepted at universities abroad and received scholarships. This success is proof that with hard work and determination, the opportunity to continue education abroad is wide open to anyone who tries wholeheartedly. Through merit and a rigorous selection process, they managed to make their school proud and prove that the dream of pursuing higher education abroad is not impossible.
To find out more about their struggles, the Arc team interviewed Hezkiel ‘25 and Denver ‘25:
Hezkiel ’25 shared his experience as a student who qualified for an overseas university, specifically at Hangzhou Normal University, China, through the 100% scholarship pathway. Here’s what he said, “I’m really happy, because this is a big decision that will change everything. When I found out that I was accepted, I was relieved because I could focus on one goal without hesitation. For sure, the support system is very important. Again, I took this opportunity because of their support, my family. The challenges I faced were twofold. First, because the decision was quite tight. I had to rush to gather documents. My most unique journey was when I took care of my passport and Police Records Certificate (SKCK). My passport was lost, and I went through the wrong procedure, so I had to pay a fine of two million and re-register. SKCK, too, I had to go back and forth to the police station, waiting for hours. But eventually it all passed.”
He also left a big hope and a short message for all of you:
“My hope is that I can maximize this opportunity, adapt to a new lifestyle, learn a lot, make friends from various countries, and return home later to help my family and friends. I ask you to continue to believe in yourself, even if you feel this is difficult. There will always be a way, there will be a door that opens as long as you open it. Keep your spirits up, don’t stop being optimistic and believing, because if you don’t believe, everything can be lost. That’s already close to defeat. So keep your spirits up!”
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Denver ‘25 also shared his experience of qualifying for several overseas universities and choosing the University of Nottingham, UK, with a scholarship. Here’s what he had to say:
“Initially, I didn’t expect to be accepted, especially with mediocre grades. But when I got the email from Nottingham University, I was really happy. At that time, 1 faced several challenges. The first challenge was that I applied very quickly, so I had little preparation. IELTS preparation was only 12-14 days. Then on the day of the speaking test, the examiner came late, it was already speaking time, and the person only came half an hour later. Another challenge was that I used multiple agents, and there was a fight between agents. So, one agent said I was their student, and the other agent said the same thing, and we had an email argument. It was only after two months that the problem was solved. Regarding scholarships, each university is different, but I chose Nottingham because of its higher accreditation.”
Denver ‘25 expressed his high hopes and left a warm message for all of us:
“My hope at Nottingham is to continue with a doctoral degree in psychiatry. After that, I want to become a lecturer or work in the military, which requires psychiatrists for drug prescriptions. As for messages, the only one from me is ‘Don’t give up. I also used to think, ‘With grades like this, it’s impossible to get accepted abroad, but after trying. I did.”
The journeys of Hezkiel ‘25 and Denver ‘25 prove that with passion, support, and hard work, the opportunity to study abroad is within reach. May their achievements inspire all students to keep dreaming, striving, and opening the doors of opportunity that lie ahead.
Editor in Chief : Evelyne Dian P.
Journalist : Evelyne Dian P. and Michael Jonathan K.
Editor & Translator : Evelyne Dian P.
Photo : Event’s photographer
English 
Indonesian
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