Edeltrudis Patrisia Soge (MPBI 2024), the valedictorian of the March 2026 graduation ceremony, once experienced a profound crisis of self-confidence.

“When I first stepped into classroom S2301 in 2024, my heart sank. I felt so small—so different. The other students had lighter, fairer skin. I was the only one with dark skin.”

Patris, as she is warmly called, comes from Maumere, a town on the island of Flores.

Anxieties quickly surfaced—fear, doubt, and hesitation.

“What if I am rejected? What if I am excluded? What if I am not taken seriously—seen as insignificant?”

These thoughts echoed loudly within her, pounding in her chest and creating a deep sense of unease.

Her fears were not without background. Before moving to Sanata Dharma University, when she was still studying in her hometown, strong social and cultural stigmas shaped the academic environment. Differences were often magnified—skin color, race, social status, and academic ability. Within a scarcity mentality, where opportunities and recognition were perceived as limited resources to be competed for, only those considered superior were expected to receive appreciation and acknowledgment.

It was this internalized imagination of discrimination that haunted her and made her afraid.

Yet the reality she encountered was entirely different. The fears that once gripped her gradually vanished—replaced by optimism and a renewed sense of confidence.

“The lecturers here are deeply caring, understanding, attentive, and supportive.”

Her academic journey soon flourished.

“I always collaborated with my friends. Publishing was never a problem. I truly enjoyed the learning process because here no one judges you. There is no anxiety about people trying to find faults.”

During her 18 months of study, she successfully published five scholarly articles, all produced through collaborative work.

At Sanata Dharma University, this experience reflects a deeper educational ethos: the commitment to uphold an abundance mentality. Each person is recognized as possessing unique capabilities and distinctive potential. Academic life is not framed as a zero-sum competition, but as a shared journey of growth.

A simple metaphor captures this spirit. One loaf of bread, when broken and shared among many, does not necessarily diminish what each person receives. Instead, the act of sharing often multiplies the abundance itself. One bread can attract more bread—until there is enough for everyone to partake.

Within such an environment, collaboration becomes natural, trust grows stronger, and individual talents are allowed to flourish without fear.

At the end of her speech, Patris encouraged the fellow graduates not to waste the opportunities before them.

“If the choice is there,” she concluded, “studying in the Master’s Program in English Language Education, Sanata Dharma University is truly a very good decision.”