Just 11 days before taking Universitas Gadjah Mada’s (UGM) independent entrance examination, Francisca Rani Indira was mourning the loss of her father. While preparing for one of the most important exams of her life, the 18-year-old also faced financial uncertainty after her family lost its primary breadwinner. Despite those challenges, she refused to give up. Her perseverance ultimately earned her admission to UGM’s Undergraduate Program in Public Policy and Management at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol).
The journey had already been difficult long before the examination.
As her father battled a serious illness, Rani spent much of her time at the hospital accompanying him while trying to prepare for both Indonesia’s National Test-Based Selection (SNBT) and UGM’s Computer-Based Independent Admission Test (UM UGM CBT). Balancing family responsibilities with exam preparation proved far from easy.
“My father was hospitalized, so it was difficult to concentrate on studying. After I wasn’t accepted through the SNBT, I immediately started preparing again for the UM UGM exam,” she recalled on Thursday (July 23).
Only days later, her father passed away.
Still grieving, Rani decided not to let her dream end there. With only 11 days remaining before the examination, she rebuilt her study routine from scratch. Almost every evening, she went to the regional public library, where she worked through between 100 and 200 practice questions each day.
“I studied mostly at the public library. For about 11 days, I completed between 100 and 200 practice questions every day,” she said.
Her determination paid off when she received the news that she had been accepted into her dream program at UGM.
Following her father’s passing, Rani now lives with her mother, Yuani, in their modest home in Suren Wetan Hamlet, Jetis District, Bantul Regency. Her mother supports the family by working as a laborer at a local tempeh chips production house.
As an only child, Rani said she feels a deep responsibility to honor both her mother’s sacrifices and her late father’s dream of seeing her study at UGM.
“I really want to make my mother happy because she’s the only parent I have now. My father always hoped I would be accepted to UGM. He was the one who took me to school, picked up my report cards, and constantly encouraged me to study,” she said emotionally.
Yuani admitted that financial concerns had always weighed heavily on the family. Even so, she and her late husband never wanted money to stand in the way of their daughter’s education.
“I’m so happy. Her father always hoped she could study at UGM. We didn’t know how we would pay for college, but we believed we would find a way,” she said.
Their worries eased when Rani was awarded a 100 percent tuition subsidy under UGM’s Single Tuition Fee (UKT) assistance scheme, allowing her to pursue her studies without paying tuition.
For Yuani, the scholarship represents not only financial relief but also the fulfillment of a dream that she and her husband had shared for years.
“I hope everything goes smoothly with your studies and that every challenge becomes easier. Keep learning and never stop pursuing your dreams,” she told her daughter.
Rani also demonstrated her determination through active involvement outside the classroom during her years at SMAN 2 Bantul.
She joined the school’s research club, where she helped conduct a study on the lives of waste pickers at the Piyungan landfill. She also served as vice chair of the Youth Red Cross (PMR), managed the school library through the Prapanca Muda student organization, and participated in various religious activities.
Those experiences, she said, taught her that success is measured not only by achievements but also by perseverance throughout the learning process.
“My teacher once told me that in research, winning is only a bonus. The most valuable thing is being able to complete the entire process,” she said.
Looking back on everything she has experienced over the past few months, Rani believes every setback has strengthened her resolve to pursue her dreams.
With her father’s encouragement in her heart and her mother’s unwavering support beside her, she now begins a new chapter at UGM—determined to honor her family’s sacrifices and build a brighter future through education.
Author: Cyntia Noviana
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-Editor: Zabrina Kumara
Photo: Hanifah