The Covid-19 pandemic has limited people’s ability to carry out daily activities, including students who have had to switch to online learning. Despite these challenges, students have continued to achieve through various competitions. One such student is Nunik Suroiyah, a 2019 Mathematics major. She participated in a national essay competition organized by LEMNAS MATRIKS UMM and won first place. Impressive! Despite the pandemic, Nunik’s spirit to achieve remained undiminished.
The competition Nunik entered took place on November 13, 2021, via Zoom. Nunik did not compete alone; her team included Fairuz Atika, also a 2019 Mathematics major, and Etik Wahyuni, a 2019 Physics major, all from Universitas Airlangga. The competition, LEMNAS MATRIKS, is a national essay contest with the theme “Implementation of Mathematics,” organized by the Mathematics Education Student Association of UMM.
The first step Nunik and her team took was to register for the competition. They then quickly worked on their essay submission and awaited the announcement of the top four finalists. This was followed by a presentation of their essay and, finally, the announcement of the winners.
Nunik mentioned that participating in this essay competition was interesting and beneficial. She met other formidable teams and judges who were experts in their fields. The experience provided her with new insights into the world of essay competitions and inspired her with fresh ideas from her competitors. Reflecting on the event, Nunik hopes that future competitions will be even better organized, with a smoother schedule, as there were delays in the announcement of winners. However, she praised the overall quality of the event. Nunik also hopes to stay motivated and participate in more competitions.
Nunik’s participation in this competition is also a form of contribution towards achieving one of the SDGs: promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
