Institut Teknologi Bandung

Rachel, as she is affectionately known, admits that her journey to being selected as Mapres was not easy. She went through a rigorous and rather brief selection process.

The initial process involved submitting her achievements for review by faculty judges.

After my CV, proof of achievements, and motivation were reviewed by the faculty judges, I was invited for an interview. I was interviewed by three professors from my program, she said on Friday (12/4/2024).

Ultimately, Rachel passed the selection stages and was chosen as the Outstanding Student representative from the Informatics Engineering Study Program.

Next, she prepared for the SEEI Mapres selection. At this stage, she was required to present a creative idea in English. A few weeks later, she was invited to attend the main ITB Mapres selection, where she was chosen as the Mapres representative from SEEI.

During her three years at ITB, Rachel has always strived to do her best in every course she takes.

The reason is simple: as a form of responsibility towards my parents and also my scholarship, she stated.

She firmly believes that all efforts will not be in vain and will yield results, whether in the form of good grades or as preparation for her future career.

Not only was she active in academic activities, Rachel also participated in various competitions and organizations. She even won several competitions she entered.

"Thank God, with my team, I managed to win several Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions, which are competitions in the field of cybersecurity," she revealed.

With these activities, she also had to manage her time between academic assignments and the competitions she participated in.

“There were weeks when I couldn't enjoy the weekend at all due to ongoing competitions. I also often faced failure,” she shared.

Although she and her team failed to win the Gemastik competition after reaching the finals twice, she managed to overcome all the challenges, especially with the support of those around her. She added, "I also always try not to 'pressure' myself too much and enjoy all the processes I go through."

Currently, Rachel holds the responsibility of Head of Competition at the ITB IEEE Student Branch and Head of the CTF Community at HMIF. She is also involved in the South Sulawesi Art Unit, where she once taught in preparation for the Test-Based National Selection for high school students from South Sulawesi.

Moreover, Rachel has been a member of the IT division on various committees, such as at the 2023 ITB Centralized Early Cadre and the July 2022 Graduation Parade.

She believes that her achievements are the result of her dedication over the years. "I believe in the growth mindset; there's always room to grow," she said.

This principle is enough to always make her strive to be better. She also believes that what she does now is inseparable from the support of the great people around her. “So, make friends, seek help, and give back to the people around you. Most importantly, remember that everything comes from God,” she concluded.

With all her achievements, Rachel Gabriela Chen has become an inspiration to many other students. She proves that with hard work, perseverance, and belief, big dreams can be realized.

Reporter: Satria Octavianus Nababan (Informatics Engineering ‘21)
Translator: Anggi Nurdiani (Management ‘24)
Editor: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering ‘21)