Timothy Joseph Hutagaol : Indonesian graduate's journey of hope and achievement in China

Indonesian graduate Timothy Joseph Hutagaol poses for a photo with his mother at Tianjin University's 2024 commencement ceremony for undergraduate students in north China's Tianjin, July 6, 2024.

TIANJIN, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Seeing his son's image on a banner hanging at the roadside on campus at Tianjin University in north China's Tianjin Municipality, Esther Samosir Pakpahan from Indonesia could not help but feel a strong sense of pride.

"It's so inspirational, and a huge honor for my family," Pakpahan said, a businesswoman who arrived in China in June to attend her son's commencement.

Her son Timothy Joseph Hutagaol was among the first five international students recognized as outstanding graduates of the university, with their photos displayed on banners aside the main road on campus. He gained the title not only for his academic performance in chemical engineering but also for being a student ambassador, helping the university recruit international students.

He has shared his campus life in China through hundreds of posts on social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WeChat and Bilibili, drawing more than 1 million views. His online presence also helped attract more than 50 international students to enroll at the university.

Raised by his single mother, Hutagaol studied hard and graduated from high school with excellent academic performance in the Indonesian national examination in 2019. Then, Hutagaol decided to pursue his undergraduate studies at Tianjin University.

"I love science and engineering, and nothing combines the two better than chemical engineering," he said, adding that his choice won his mom's full support.

In the summer of 2020, Hutagaol received an admission letter from Tianjin University with a chemical engineering scholarship, making him the first and only one in this generation of his family to earn a fully-funded undergraduate scholarship abroad.

During his studies, he collaborated with doctoral and postgraduate students from the lab and published a paper in the Journal of Food Chemistry as the first author and another in the Journal of Applied Energy as a co-author.

"This experience cemented my passion for chemical engineering research," Hutagaol said.

His journey now continues as he has been awarded a full scholarship from the Chinese Government Scholarship to pursue a master's degree in chemical engineering at the university.

For Hutagaol, the recognition banner and his mom's presence at his commencement brought a perfect close to his undergraduate studies.

"I wanted my mom to be part of this wonderful journey in China. Without her love and support, I wouldn't be here," Hutagaol said.

During their free time, Hutagaol took his mom on a city walk in Tianjin.

"Tianjin is clean and well-organized," the mother noted. "So much modern technology everywhere. Even payments are made through QR codes. It's impressive."

The excellent facilities and welcoming environment she observed both in the city and on campus solidified her support for Hutagaol to further his studies at the university.

"I'm really grateful to the university for bringing out the best in my son," she said.

Rebecca, Alumni dari SMA Kristen Tabqha yang sedang menempuh pendidikan S1 di Universitas Jambi

Testimoni

Saya sangat bersyukur telah bersekolah di Tabgha. Selama waktu saya di sini, saya merasa didukung oleh guru-guru yang luar biasa. Mereka selalu siap membantu dan memberikan bimbingan yang dibutuhkan.

Fasilitas yang disediakan sangat mendukung proses belajar mengajar, mulai dari ruang kelas yang nyaman hingga fasilitas lainnya. Kegiatan ekstrakurikuler juga sangat beragam, memberikan kesempatan bagi siswa untuk mengembangkan bakat dan minat di luar akademis.

Salah satu hal yang paling saya hargai dari sekolah Tabgha adalah pendekatan pengajaran yang kreatif dan inovatif. Para guru tidak hanya mengajar dengan metode tradisional, tetapi juga menggunakan berbagai alat dan teknik yang membuat pembelajaran menjadi lebih menarik. Mereka selalu mendorong kami untuk berpikir kritis dan kreatif, serta memberikan bimbingan yang sangat membantu dalam memahami materi pelajaran.

alumni sma kristen tabqha

Kezia Rebecca Butarbutar

Secara keseluruhan, bersekolah di Tabgha telah membentuk saya menjadi individu yang lebih baik, tidak hanya dalam hal akademis, tetapi juga dalam hal karakter dan kerohanian. Saya sangat bersyukur atas semua pengalaman dan pelajaran yang saya dapatkan di sini. Saya yakin bahwa semua yang saya pelajari akan menjadi bekal berharga untuk masa depan saya.

Harapan untuk Sekolah Tabgha

Saya berharap sekolah Tabgha dapat menjadi tempat yang semakin inspiratif dan mendukung bagi setiap siswa. Saya juga berharap para guru terus mengembangkan metode pengajaran yang inovatif, memadukan teknologi dan pendekatan kreatif, sehingga siswa merasa lebih terlibat dan termotivasi. Kegiatan ekstrakurikuler yang beragam akan semakin memperkaya pengalaman belajar, memberikan kesempatan bagi siswa untuk mengeksplorasi minat dan bakat mereka di luar akademik.

Selain itu, saya berharap sekolah Tabgha dapat lebih fokus pada pengembangan karakter, sehingga setiap siswa tidak hanya cerdas secara akademis, tetapi juga memiliki nilai-nilai moral yang kuat. Saya berharap setiap siswa di sekolah ini memiliki kesempatan untuk berprestasi, baik di bidang akademis maupun non-akademis, dan mendapatkan pengakuan atas usaha dan dedikasi mereka. Dengan semua harapan ini, saya yakin sekolah Tabgha akan terus maju dan menjadi tempat yang membanggakan bagi seluruh komunitas.