“There Is No Limit to What You Can Achieve”
A Story of Saepulloh, Bangkit 2023 Batch 2 Graduate from Computer Engineering, Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Payakumbuh
Everyone has dreams, but the path to success is rarely straightforward. Saepulloh (24) understands this well. Since he dreamed about becoming a tech talent, Saif—that’s what he’s called—knew that his path would be filled with ups and downs. The economic difficulty was his reason.
However, Saif refused to give up. He knew his path to his dream would be challenging, but it was worth fighting for. Therefore, despite his limited resources, Saif was determined to succeed in Bangkit. Finally, he graduated and kicked off his career as an intern.
Are you curious about Saif’s journey in Bangkit? Let’s read his full story!
Living with His Farmer Elder Siblings
Saif was raised in Bukittinggi, West Sumatera, the youngest of three. His father passed away when he was nine years old, leaving his mother to be the family’s breadwinner by selling fritters (gorengan).
However, since childhood, Saif has lived with several relatives before living with his elder brother and sister, who are between eight and thirteen years older than he is. Both of them make ends meet by farming chili. The perseverance of his elder siblings in providing for the family through farming has served as a role model for Saif, inspiring him to cultivate the same determination.
Therefore, realizing he needed to be financially independent, Saif worked as a freelance wedding invitation designer and shopkeeper in high school. Sometimes, he taught himself about web development using his workplace’s computer program during work hours.
His interest in web development and broader tech advancements led Saif to pursue higher education at Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Payakumbuh, where he majored in Computer Engineering.
Joined Bangkit to Get Ready to Be a Data Scientist
Saif’s success in continuing higher education at Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Payakumbuh made him the first person in the family to go to college. To fund his education, Saif relied on many scholarships. Sometimes, he worked part-time. Working while learning was challenging for Saif, but he remained steadfast for his brighter future. Moreover, working hard best describes Saif’s family nature.
In the middle of his hustle between part-time work and studying, Saif got acquainted with Bangkit when he explored independent study and internship programs presented by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT). Bangkit’s Machine Learning path captivated him because of his curiosity about Data Analysts and Data Scientists—Saif’s dream jobs. He believed that Bangkit could get him closer to his dream.
“Besides Machine Learning is related to Data Analyst and Data Science, I wish joining Bangkit could help me support my family’s financial needs by securing a promising job after graduating from this program,” Saif said.
As the acceptance letter from Bangkit landed in his inbox, Saif’s learning journey in this program began. He was thrilled to expand his horizon in tech, make new friends, and solidify his Machine Learning skills.
Had to Find a Free Wi-Fi Connection in the Mosque to Learn in Bangkit
Saif was happy to learn how to manage and utilize data wisely. However, he faced challenges during his time in Bangkit. Living in a village in the foothills of the Singgalang Mountains made getting a good internet connection difficult for Saif. To finish Bangkit’s online courses and join instructor-led training (ILT), Saif had to walk as far as 5 kilometers to the mosque or a small restaurant that provided a free Wi-Fi connection.
Furthermore, there was a time for Saif to get connected while taking care of his sick elder brother. Although he had to stay beside his elder brother’s hospital bed, he finished his Bangkit courses and freelance projects.
“The challenges that got in my way didn’t bother me to keep doing my best in Bangkit. I was happy to get the opportunity to get to know the experts who served as my instructors and also opened the door to many IT developer programs that I could attend, one of which was Baparekraf Developer Day.”
After completing his 900 hours of learning in Bangkit, Saif graduated. He was excited to implement what he had learned from Bangkit while participating in Pertukaran Mahasiswa Merdeka (PMM) at Universitas Telkom, the ASEAN Data Scientist Competition, and becoming a Google Arcade Facilitator.
Embarked On His Internship Journey in an IT Service and Consulting Company
Saif embarked on his internship journey after acquiring many experiences in student exchange programs and competitions and becoming a facilitator. He secured an internship as a Programming Intern at PT Langgeng Sejahtera Kreasi Komputasi, a Bandung-based IT service and consulting company.
“From Bangkit, I knew the concept of connecting the dots presented by Steve Jobs about seemingly random experiences and events in our lives that are unconnected at the time but often form a meaningful pattern when viewed in retrospect. I implemented this concept in my life.”
He also mentioned the impact of his capstone project experience on his professional life. The final project made building an app needed by the internal Saif’s office familiar to him. Moreover, the Machine Learning fundamentals taught in Bangkit also underlie his programming duty at work.
“I would never be able to embark on my internship journey without Bangkit. This program made me believe there is no limit to what you can achieve. Moreover, where we come from doesn’t define our future; what we know does. Keep doing your best to pursue your dream.”
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