Mahmudi

Sampoerna Academy Scholar, 2011 Intake

SMAN 10 Malang

Scholarship by PT HM Sampoerna Tbk

Mahmudi is one of our 150 third intake students from the SMAN 10 Malang (Sampoerna Academy). He is very grateful to have successfully passed such a tight selection process for the East Java province. Mahmudi, born in 1996, is the sixth of seven children in his family. His father is a farmer who works at his neighbor’s rice field. Due to his family’s financial difficulties, Mahmudi’s elder siblings could not continue their studies in senior high school. His younger brother dropped out of school when he was in his second grade of junior high school.

Mahmudi’s mother who has poor health condition tried to earn additional income by opening a small food stall at their house. But her health deteriorated and the family did not have enough money for her medical treatment. Mahmudi then decided to work after school at a construction site. He used the money to buy medicines for his beloved mother. Unfortunately, his mother could not survive and passed away. Her last message to him: Mahmudi should continue his study, no matter what.

Nevertheless, when he was about to finish his junior high school, Mahmudi was facing a dilemma; he had to decide whether to continue his study or to work at a farm or at a construction site, following his elder brothers. That was when he heard about the Sampoerna Academy scholarship program. He applied and joined the test. Later on, when his family learned that Mahmudi was eligible to become a student of Sampoerna Academy, they shed tears of joy and hugged him tightly. For them, Mahmudi is the only hope to bring changes to the family’s life.

Now, as a student of Sampoerna Academy, Mahmudi is highly motivated to learn and study to be the best. He is determined to master English, his favorite subject, as he is aware of its importance as the universal language. He still remembers when he was in junior high school, he did not receive sufficient English lessons as there was no English teachers at his school. At the Sampoerna Academy, he can practise his English with his teachers and friends all the time. He believes that someday an opportunity will come for him to go abroad, where he can use his language ability for diplomacy. In the meantime, he will keep practicing, as he believes that practice makes perfect.

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