She believes that graduation ceremony is the biggest appreciation towards one’s knowledge and hard work. Moreover, Carol believes that graduating from ITB is a phenomenal because ITB is a prestigious and world renowned university. “Your graduation ceremony is a day you will never forget. I should know, I had three,” said Carol, who holds Ph. D. in Sociology.

Carol encourages all fresh graduates to keep looking for experiences. “Say yes to everything,” she said. She also said that graduates should have the spirit to learn because graduation is not the end of education. “You leave this university as a graduate, but today you enter the university of life,” Carol said.

She believes that graduation is the same as ending a chapter in book of life. “However, this one chapter is the most significant and important in your life,” Carol said.

Carol also shared about her life experiences. She dreamt of being a lecturer in a higher education. Hence, she took education required to pursue her dream. However, that opportunity does not come, until one day she received another opportunity in Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland. “They were not interested in the grade that I had earned during my bachelor degree. They were interested in the person, in the qualities, work ethics, and experiences”. She said

In the First Graduation Ceremony of Academic Year 2019/2020, ITB inaugurated 2,987 graduates, consisting of 1,798 graduates of undergraduate programs, 1019 graduates of master programs, 114 graduates of professional engineer program, and 56 graduates of doctoral programs. The ceremony also saw the inauguration of 15 international students coming from 7 different contries, namely Cambodia, Ecuador, Madagascar, Malaysia, Rwanda, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.

Reporter: Ferio Brahmana (Engineering Physics 2017)