UNDIP, Semarang (November 7, 2025) – Behind the title of outstanding graduate at Universitas Diponegoro’s 179th graduation ceremony lies the story of a young woman who pursued her academic journey with perseverance and courage. She is Honey Nathania Marsela, a graduate of the Food Technology Study Program, Faculty of Animal and Agricultural Sciences, who completed her studies in 3 years and 10 months, earning an outstanding GPA of 3.98.
Honey’s academic journey began in 2021 through a pathway she had long dreamed of since high school. “Food Technology has indeed been my dream for a long time,” she said. Behind her near-perfect academic achievements, Honey had to balance lectures, research, organizational activities, and various national and international competitions. All of these were undertaken with discipline and a strong desire to learn.
Now that she has officially earned her bachelor’s degree, Honey has begun her professional journey as a Procurement Officer at PT Garuda Metalindo. This company strengthens the foundation of her early career in the industry while allowing her to understand the fundamental dynamics of the supply chain by applying the knowledge she gained during her university years.
“UNDIP is not only a place to learn theory, but also a place where I learned to become a resilient individual, to think critically, and to interact with many people from different backgrounds,” she recalled of her student days.
Not only excelling academically, but Honey is also known for thriving on experience and challenges. She achieved recognition through the Nutrifood Leadership Award 2024 and became part of the 2024 Student Creativity Program in Exact Sciences Research (PKM-R), which successfully received national funding.
The preparation for these competitions was not always easy. Honey even went through the selection processes for both major competitions while in her Community Service Program (KKN). “We often came home late at night from the laboratory, but everything was paid off when our ideas were appreciated and trusted to be developed further,” she recalled gratefully.
For Honey, success does not come instantly, but through the courage to keep trying, learning from failure, and rising stronger. “As a student from outside the region and an only child, I learned that every rejection is not the end, but part of the process toward better achievements,” she said.
In her reflection, the tagline ‘Noble and Valuable UNDIP’ is not merely a slogan, but a life principle. Noble means upholding integrity in every step. Valuable means ensuring that every achievement brings a positive impact to others. For this reason, she often serves as a mentor to friends or juniors who wish to participate in competitions or self-development programs.
“Achievement is not about how many awards we collect, but about how many people can grow together with us,” she added.
Honey believes that UNDIP students have great potential to help bring the university into the world’s top 500 World Class Universities. “That contribution can start from simple things such as daring to think critically, innovate, and be open to cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural collaboration. With that spirit, UNDIP students will be able to compete at the global level,” she said optimistically.
Active in various organizations, competitions, research, and social projects, Honey admits that all of these demand strong time management and high discipline. However, she learned the true meaning of responsibility and perseverance. “Being busy is not always a bad thing, as long as we know what we are fighting for and have strong reasons to keep moving forward,” she said.
At the end of her story, Honey encouraged UNDIP students to dare to start and never give up, even in the face of failure. “There is no need to wait for perfection to begin. Be a lifelong learner, because as long as we keep learning, we will keep growing. And as long as we keep growing, we will continue to bring benefits not only to ourselves, but also to others,” she concluded—reflecting the spirit of a noble and valuable UNDIP that supports the impactful Diktisaintek program, values that now live on in the footsteps of Honey Nathania, a young alumna who continues to spread inspiration in the real world. (Public Communication/UNDIP/DHW)
