Ms. Sonita Afrita Purba Siboro, a graduate of the Chemistry undergraduate program at the Faculty of Science and Mathematics (FSM), Diponegoro University, class of 2009, graduated in 2013 and now works as a Young Expert Researcher at the National Research and Innovation Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BRIN). Her career journey began with the courage to choose Chemistry at UNDIP, far from her hometown in Sumatra. Early in college, she faced significant challenges due to her limited academic preparation and cultural differences, making her feel left behind compared to her peers from Java. However, through hard work and perseverance, she completed her bachelor’s degree in just 3.5 years, graduating cum laude in 2013.
This success paved the way for her to pursue a Master’s degree at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) with a full scholarship from the Ministry of Research and Technology. At ITB, she encountered research challenges and supervisory issues. Still, she remained determined and graduated cum laude, while also publishing her research in an international journal—becoming the first in her cohort to achieve this distinction. Later, she earned a doctoral scholarship through the Brain Korea 21 (BK21) program and completed her Ph.D. in South Korea within three years, publishing six Scopus-indexed international articles, surpassing the expected target.
The knowledge she gained from her undergraduate years at UNDIP has become a valuable foundation for every step of her career. All the obstacles she once faced have shaped her to handle even more complex research problems today. Ms. Sonita’s achievements prove that hard work and persistence—not luck—are what truly determine success. Every day, she continues to learn, innovate, and contribute to science. From her hometown to BRIN, her journey shows that big dreams can be achieved through relentless effort. She lives by the saying:
“You can be born anywhere, but your dreams should always be sky-high.”
Currently, Ms. Sonita is an active researcher at BRIN, focusing on the synthesis of polymer materials for targeted cancer drug delivery—a field closely related to the chemistry she studied at UNDIP. She expresses deep gratitude that her chemistry education from UNDIP remains applicable and serves as a vital asset in her daily work.
Among her accomplishments are: a postgraduate scholarship from the Ministry of Research and Technology for her master’s study at ITB (2013–2015), the Brain Korea 21 doctoral scholarship in South Korea (2018–2021), and a postdoctoral research program at BRIN (2023–2024).
As a motivational message for FSM UNDIP students, Ms. Sonita reminds them not to give up easily, even when facing obstacles. She firmly states:
“Never give up. Every phase comes with its challenges, but success can only be achieved if you don’t stop trying. Keep fighting—you can do it!”