Maria Felicia, a student from Diponegoro University (UNDIP), has successfully won first place in the Denok Kenang Semarang 2024 competition. The Denok Kenang Semarang competition is an event aimed at preserving Indonesian culture, particularly in Semarang City, Central Java, and uncovering the potential of young, critical, and talented cultural ambassadors. Maria Felicia (Diponegoro University) and her partner Mohamad Pramanda Salih (UIN Walisongo) were announced as the first-place winners among 30 finalist pairs at the grand final night held on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at Taman Indonesia Kaya Semarang.
Since childhood, Maria Felicia Slamet Riyono has been passionate about being a cultural ambassador. She has participated in various competitions, such as singing, dancing, and modeling. Additionally, Maria enjoys showcasing cultural works in public, joining dance groups and choirs, and performing solo singing.
A student of the Law Department at the Faculty of Law, UNDIP, Maria expressed that through culture, she can understand, recognize, and represent the values of a culture as an Indonesian citizen. “There is a sense of pride in the cultural richness we possess as a nation. Therefore, I feel driven to continuously learn and focus on culture and tourism to preserve and encourage every generation to recognize, maintain, and preserve culture as Indonesia’s wealth,” said Maria.
Maria Felicia shared many new and exciting experiences she gained during the competition and winning the Denok Kenang 2024 championship. The competition stages she went through included auditions with assessments such as written tests, performance tests, and interviews. After passing these stages, Maria made it to the top 30 finalists, who continued with quarantine activities leading up to the grand final.
“The quarantine activities at Denok Kenang provided new experiences and knowledge, particularly in tourism, culture, public speaking, English, and other knowledge that supports being a cultural ambassador or Denok Kenang of Semarang City. Additionally, from these activities, I gained many friends and new relationships who support each other with the same goal of advancing the culture and tourism of Semarang City,” Maria stated.
Besides Denok Kenang 2024, Maria Felicia, a 2022 UNDIP student, has plenty of achievements. She won first place in the Central Java Individual Kretek Dance Competition in 2017, first place in the Putra Putri Budaya competition in Central Java and Yogyakarta in 2017, and earned a Gold Certificate and Female Choir Champion of Category at the Bali International Choir Festival in 2023.
Regarding Semarang City’s potential, Maria mentioned that the Old City of Semarang has its unique charm. “In the Old City, there are many attractive photo spots perfect for social media, along with numerous cafes and hangout places that can attract young people,” explained Denok of Semarang City 2024.
Maria discovered many new things to learn and explore while being in a new environment. She advised her fellow UNDIP students, “Don’t hesitate to try new things, step out of your comfort zone, and believe in yourself. Keep learning and striving your best while seeking God’s guidance and your parents’ blessings.” (Titis – Public Relations)
