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English Letters Roles in Education: Empowering People beyond Borders
The English Letters Department of Universitas Sanata Dharma upholds five missions along its journey, which are to provide an education rooted in Ignatian Pedagogy that cultivates students' competence, conscience, and compassion, to enable students to integrate humanistic values and knowledge of (English) language, literature, and culture from local, national, and global perspectives, to conduct research in (English) language, literature, and culture from local, national, and global perspectives; to support society in resolving issues with the English language, literature, and culture based on local, national, and global perspectives, and to collaborate with external institutions to promote education, research, and community service at local, national, and international levels. All the department members fight to accomplish the missions, as seen from the experiences of two alumni: Rosa Dahlia and Hugo Indratno.
The first alumna is Rosa Dahlia. She accomplished the mission by showing high dedication to serving societies in Papua. She is a graduate of batch 2006. Her service in Papua has helped countless Papuan people, especially children, since 2013. Her passion for education has bloomed even since she was a student in the English Letters Department. At that time, she taught at Perkumpulan Sosial Pingit (PSP), and after reading Butet Manurung's book titled "Sokola Rimba", she was motivated to move and serve children in rural areas.
She has been in Papua for 11 years now. From 2013 to 2016, she served at Lanny Jaya elementary school. Rosa said that she revived a four-year-innactive school there. With her friends, she motivated children to go back to school taught them to read and to solve math problems. They also managed and organized the classes. The team's effort resulted in the revival of the school. From 2016 to 2022, she reached the wider community at Sawa Erma Parish in Asmat. There, Rosa tirelessly assisted young female teenagers and children. In 2023, Rosa moved to Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress. Now, she also handles education and public programme. Rosa witnessed the warmth and respect that defined the Papuan people and culture. She testified that her experience breaks the negative stereotypes about Papuan people. She found that Papuan people are caring and respectful.
Rosa argues that a good and proper education should focus on children and their holistic development as human beings. Education is not merely about physical buildings such as classrooms and facilities. The implementation of education should highlight how to understand people and uplift humanity. Education should be rooted in local contexts and become a strategic and powerful tool for human empowerment.
Reflecting on the moments in the English Letters Department, Rosa mentions that English Letters students are equipped with a strong sense of empathy from the courses they study in class and the discussions beyond the classroom walls. She advises English Letters Department students to pursue their dreams and persistently overcome obstacles.
The second alumnus is Hugo Indratno. He is from batch 1993, the year of the establishment of the English Letters Department. He showed a persistent effort in educating young people. Although his first step was unintentional, it was a big step for a very long and sweet journey in the world of teaching and education. It started when his friend offered him to teach at Kanisius Elementary School in Wirobrajan in 1997, two years before he graduated. He mentioned that he struggled with limited resources and teaching materials at that time.
Hugo moved from Kanisius to Sang Timur Elementary School while teaching a Puri Bahasa language course in Colombo. The teaching journey continued at Kanaan Global School in Jakarta. There, he was assigned as the teaching coordinator, a position that needed both practical agility and deep knowledge in teaching. After Kanaan Global School, Tunas Muda became the next stop. At Tunas Muda, an institution implementing an international curriculum under the supervision of the International Baccalaureate, Hugo was assigned as the head principal of the school. Subsequently, he joined Sinarmas, where he embraced technology in education. Hugo's persistence and motivation brought him back to Tunas Muda, where he worked on a project to develop a Moodle-based Learning Management System. He later transitioned to Jakarta International School as a tech coach before his current position and duty at SMIC Private School in Shanghai.
Hugo highlights the significance of adaptability, innovation, and a continuous commitment to advancing education from his long teaching and educating journey. He believes that a good education should adapt to the spirit of the age while focusing on enhancing the good character of learners. According to Hugo, a good learner is expected to keep seeking the truth and fighting for goodness, focusing on the betterment of humanity.
The noble mission faces many challenges. One challenge that Hugo mentioned was coming from young learners. They, being digital natives, often adapt to new technology faster and may sometimes feel more fluent in technology than their teachers. However, Hugo responds calmly and helpfully, always ready to assist students with problems and provide guidance wholeheartedly.
As an alumnus of the English Letters Department, Hugo's experiences indicate passion, dedication, and adaptability in the field of education. Reminiscing about his time in the English Letters Department, he thinks the department's moments have sharpened his open-mindedness and critical awareness of his surroundings. He advises current students of the English Letters Department to be true seekers of truth and always be curious to comprehend things. (SAM)
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