UNDIP (25/4). The Mayor of Semarang, Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu, commonly known as Mbak Ita, had the opportunity to participate in the procession of the 174th UNDIP Graduation Ceremony held at the Muladi Dome of the General Purpose Building (GSG) of Diponegoro University.
She was present as a graduate who completed her doctoral studies in Public Administration at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) of UNDIP with a perfect GPA of 4.00 or Summa Cum Laude. Despite her duties as the Mayor of Semarang, it did not deter her from prioritizing education up to the doctoral level amidst her busy schedule.
Her achievement as a cum laude graduate with a dissertation titled “Hepta Helix Collaborative Governance in the Management of the Old City Site of Semarang” was completed in a study period of 3 years and 9 days. Mbak Ita admitted to striving to do her best in every activity, including dedicating time for lectures and completing tasks as the Mayor of Semarang and as a housewife.
“Of course, to achieve the best requires sacrifice. We have to be able to prioritize. When working, it means the priority is the entrusted work, then the second priority is school or college, along with the role of a housewife. Certainly, there is reduced time, as well as reduced sleep time. The key is to manage time smartly,” said Mbak Ita.
“And most importantly, learning a lot from our seniors, namely our teachers or professors. I am not ashamed to learn from Bambang Pramusinto, who serves as the head of the department, because he is my team, or learning from our friends, and maybe learning from our colleagues or second-level officials at work. Please do not feel like we are the smartest people. Try to learn a lot from references, many journals, and others,” continued Mbak Ita.
For Mbak Ita, graduation is not just about moving the tassel to the right and receiving the diploma but about networking and building relationships so that later on, we can become extraordinarily contributing alumni.
“During the graduation procession, UNDIP’s rankings were also mentioned, which are already world-renowned, even for the Public Administration Program ranked 24th in Asia. The achievement proves that UNDIP is a benchmark of Diponegoro University, which is a university to be proud of. Then also how the working world can accept UNDIP alumni,” she said.
Mbak Ita also conveyed that one should always be enthusiastic, maintain friendships with all friends, and collaborate with everyone. “InsyaaAllah, UNDIP alumni can be great and contribute significantly to the nation and country,” concluded Mbak Ita. (DHW-Public Relations)
The 174th UNDIP Phase 3 graduation ceremony can be watched in full on the UNDIP TV Official YouTube channel.
