UNS – Olivia Firdaus, a student from the Environmental Science Study Program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, has brought honor to UNS by winning 1st Place as the Female Language Ambassador in the 2024 Central Java Language Ambassador Competition. Olivia was selected as the 2024 Central Java Language Ambassador during the Grand Final of the competition held at Borobudur Temple on Saturday, May 25, 2024.
In an interview with uns.ac.id, Olivia revealed that her desire to become part of the Central Java Language Ambassadors stemmed from her hometown, Solo, which is rich in culture, language, and tourism. She also aimed to further develop her personal potential through this competition.
“In the Language Ambassadors, there is something called Trigatra Bangun Bahasa, which prioritizes Indonesian, preserves local languages, and masters foreign languages. This is what attracted me to join the language ambassador program, aside from the personal development opportunities,” Olivia explained on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
Olivia shared that she underwent a selection process involving written tests and interviews alongside 100 other participants before being chosen as a finalist for the Central Java Language Ambassador. During the finalist quarantine period, Olivia was tasked with creating a language product or project. She focused on the issue of language and violence against women in her project.
“My language product is called ‘LIBAS’ or Literasi Bagi Semua (Literacy for All). This initiative aims to enhance literacy among young girls to prevent sexual violence. LIBAS operates by encouraging young girls to read age-appropriate literary works (such as fairy tales or short stories), followed by creating feminist literary critiques,” the 2024 Language Ambassador explained.
She also collaborated with local organizations to implement LIBAS, hoping that this product will foster a greater understanding of feminist issues among young girls, enabling them to educate others in turn.
In addition to winning 1st Place as the Female Language Ambassador for Central Java, Olivia earned several other honors, including the Favorite Female Winner chosen by the judges during the Q&A session, the Best Indonesian Language Proficiency Test (UKBI) Score with a score of 769 and an outstanding rating, as well as the Predikat Krida Terbaik.
Moreover, Olivia and her peers will continue their language project, aiming to empower the use of the Indonesian language, preserve local languages, and master foreign languages.
Olivia is also preparing to represent Central Java in the National Language Ambassador Competition, which will be held in October.
“I will represent Central Java at the national level and am currently in the quarantine period prepared by the Central Java Language Center and the Alumni Association of Language Ambassadors,” she added. Humas UNS
Reporter: Annisa Fakhira
Editor: Dwi Hastuti