BANDUNG, itb.ac.id—At the third graduation ceremony of Institut Teknologi Bandung for the 2021-2022 academic year, Jeane Irene Beatrice Gloriana Zebua Wanggai set the record as the youngest graduate at the age of 20.

Jeane, as she is familiarly called. She is a student from the class of 2018 who completed her undergraduate studies in the Environmental Engineering study program. Jeane herself was surprised to hear her name mentioned as the youngest graduate at Sabuga. "I didn't expect it because I thought there were still younger students than me," she said.

Jeane's educational background is quite unique. At only 5 years of age, she attended elementary school with the support of her mother. At that time, she was already adept at reading and writing so she was considered capable of formal education.

"I learned [to study and write] on my own through posters that my mother bought from the stores," she explained. "Back then, the requirements for entering elementary school were not as strict as they are now, so I managed to be accepted even though I was still quite young at the time."

Not stopping there, during her high school years at SMAN 3 Jayapura, Jeane also participated in the accelerated program and graduated in just two years. Thinking retrospectively, Jeane admitted that she had no meaningful difficulties in academics despite her younger age. On the contrary, she felt frustrated when she had to keep up with her friends' more mature way of thinking.

With her interest in engineering, Jeane finally decided to choose ITB as her number-one university. Through SNMPTN, she was successfully accepted into the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (or FTSL). She later chose Environmental Engineering as her major.

When asked about her overall experience studying in Environmental Engineering, Jeane expressed her admiration for all the things she had learned so far. In addition, she was also grateful to the lecturers and educators who had been remarkable and inspiring.

"I think the most fun thing [in Environmental Engineering] is being able to work in a laboratory. In highschool, I only knew the basic ones like the chemistry lab. However, they are completely different and much cooler here. For example, in the Environmental Microbiology course, I was able to observe bacteria and learn the most optimal temperature for them to survive," she described.

In addition to academic activities, Jeanne also regularly participated in the Environmental Engineering Student Union ITB (or HMTL ITB) and the Irian Culture Unit ITB (or UKIR ITB). Through these two organizations, she could meet various people from different backgrounds.

One of the most memorable moments for Jeane was when she was appointed as the chairwoman of HMTL ITB Graduation Ceremony in July 2020. "The experience really did shape me into a more mature person. I was also helped by my friends who were very supportive and insightful," said Jeane with a light laugh.

Currently, Jeane is taking the fast-track program also in Environmental Engineering with the aim to graduate with a master's degree next year. She hopes that in the future, she will realize her dream to return to Papua and dedicate her best there. At the end of the interview, Jeane left a message for all ITB students who are now still struggling to complete their studies, "Keep expanding your network and don't be stressed, small progress is still progress!"

Reporter: Sekar Dianwidi Bisowarno (Bioengineering, 2019)
Translator: Ariq Ramadhan Teruna (Chemical Engineering 2021)