From an early age, Yafi had shown a strong interest in science, particularly astronomy. With his background in participating in Astronomy Olympiads during high school, he decided to take part in IAAC 2025. The competition began in July 2025 with five qualification problems. After successfully passing, he advanced to the pre-final round in August, which required solving six problems covering basic, advanced, and research-level topics. Eventually, he qualified for the final round in September 2025, where each participant was challenged to complete 20 problems within one minute per question.

The most demanding part for Yafi was time management, especially during the pre-final stage, which required comprehensive understanding and the ability to review scientific papers within just three days. Despite his busy schedule preparing for his thesis defense, he dedicated time to complete each round of the competition.

His perseverance bore remarkable results. Yafi won the Gold Honour International Award (3rd Prize Senior) and the National Award (Nationwide Highest Score in the Final Round), ranking among the top 1% of more than 12,300 participants worldwide.

He acknowledged that pursuing an Astronomy minor program at ITB, despite majoring in Meteorology, played a significant role in his achievement. Dedicated lecturers broadened his knowledge and sharpened his scientific understanding. He also emphasized that family support, especially his mother’s prayers, provided him with immense motivation.

To fellow students aspiring to join similar competitions, Yafi shared his message: “Never doubt yourself in chasing your dreams wholeheartedly. It is truly heartwarming when those dreams come true and make you realize: I can actually reach this far.”

Reporter: Indah Marcelinawati (Urban and Regional Planning, 2022)