UNAIR NEWS – Afrigh Abrar Brahmantya was among the Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) graduates who completed his study with an impressive record of accomplishments. He officially graduated during UNAIR’s Graduation 261 ceremony. As a graduate of the Faculty of Humanities (FIB), Brahmantya consistently achieved various accomplishments throughout his academic journey. Behind these successes, however, lies a path shaped by persistence and personal challenges.
At the beginning of his university years, Brahmantya often felt that he lagged behind his classmates. He believed that his English proficiency, particularly in grammar, was not as strong as that of his peers. This lack of confidence initially posed a significant obstacle. Over time, however, he began learning from those around him, building his network, and gradually building confidence through new experiences and opportunities.
“I used to feel that I was not as capable as my classmates. But over time, I learned a lot from them and slowly became more confident in my abilities,” he said.
Journey and achievements
Throughout his academic career, Brahmantya achieved several notable milestones. He was recognized as the Outstanding Student of FIB in 2023 and 2025, represented UNAIR as a delegate at the AUN Summer Camp at Ateneo de Manila University in 2025, and received the Student Outbound Award to study at INTI International University in the same year. In addition, he earned the Djarum Scholarship Batch 40 in 2024 after successfully passing a highly competitive selection process.
Beyond academics, Brahmantya actively engaged in organizational activities to develop his leadership and professional skills. He served as a Human Resources Officer at Indonesian Youth Diplomacy (IYD) East Java, as well as Vice President of Human Resources at Lingkar Prestasi FIB UNAIR. He also contributed as a Human Resources staff member in the Garuda Sakti Student Activity Unit (UKM) UNAIR. These roles helped shape his leadership abilities, communication skills, and personal management.
Learning from failure
For Brahmantya, setbacks are not endpoints but valuable parts of the learning process. He shared that he experienced rejection seven times while applying for different scholarships before eventually succeeding on his eighth attempt.
“I believe in exploring many opportunities. I do not focus too much on the results, but rather on the process. The first two years of college, in my view, are a golden period for exploring different possibilities,” he said.
Looking ahead, Brahmantya hopes to continue developing himself and use the experiences he has gained to contribute more broadly, both in academic fields and within the wider community.
Author: Maia Chaerunnisa
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati