Stepping onto the national stage alone is no easy feat. But that’s exactly what Tegar Sembiring, a Mathematics student at Jambi University and recipient of the Etos ID Dompet Dhuafa Scholarship, did. He proved that passion and belief can overcome limitations. At the InspireX Summit Fest 2025 held in Bandung, Tegar emerged as the 2nd place winner of the national essay competition—despite attending without any team members.
The event, which took place on February 15–16, 2025, brought together inspiring students from across Indonesia. Most participants attended with their full teams. But not Tegar. He traveled alone from Jambi, carrying the spirit and responsibility of representing his team.
“When I found out I’d be performing alone, I felt nervous. But I thought, this is a valuable opportunity. It would be a shame to miss it,” he said.
Despite being plagued by doubts, Tegar did not let his worries hinder him. He prepared his presentation thoroughly and appeared confident in front of the judges.
“For me, the key is not ideal conditions. It’s how we respond to challenges. Sometimes our own thoughts cause us to retreat first,” he added.
Read also: ETOS ID and BAKTI NUSA, Two Dompet Dhuafa Scholarships for College Students
Etos ID, More Than Just a Scholarship
Behind Tegar’s achievements lies a long journey he undertook alongside Etos ID—a scholarship program from Dompet Dhuafa that not only provides financial assistance for tuition fees but also character development and leadership training. Since 2003, this program has produced thousands of high-achieving students from underprivileged backgrounds.
Originally named Best of the Best (BoB), the program evolved into Beastudi Etos and is now known as the ETOS ID Scholarship. By 2023, over 2,500 students from 24 top universities have become part of the Etos ID family.
Mission: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Education
Etos ID is driven by the spirit of empowering, not merely providing aid. The program is designed to cultivate a generation of young people who are academically excellent, mentally resilient, and of high integrity. The goal? To enable them to elevate the status of their families and communities—from recipients of aid to givers of aid.
The main target is students with high academic potential but come from underprivileged families. This is because education is one of the strongest ways to break the cycle of poverty.
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Facilities Offered by Etos ID
The Etos ID program provides various forms of support for students, including:
- Tuition fees for 8 semesters
- Monthly allowance of IDR 600,000 starting from the first semester
- Foreign language training (English)
- Mentoring (academic and organizational)
- Personal development and career preparation training
- National Etoser gathering activities
- Participation in community empowerment programs
Eligibility Criteria for Etos ID
This program is open to:
- Students who have passed the SNMPTN entrance exam or are prospective SBMPTN/UTBK candidates
- Muslim students
- Students with academic and organizational achievements
- Committed to participating in the program for 8 semesters
- Have parental consent
- From a low-income family
- Enrolled at a partner university of Etos ID
Inspiration from Tegar: Daring to Take Steps, Not Waiting for Perfection
For Tegar, this victory is not just about winning a trophy, but also about the courage to keep moving forward even when alone. He believes that every struggle is an effort toward seeking Allah’s pleasure.
“Winning is a bonus. But what’s most important is how every step I take can be beneficial and part of the change,” he concluded.
Photo: Etos ID
Editor: Syafira
Reference: Etos ID