Naila Naifatul Humaira Bhakti, a student of Thursina International Islamic Boarding School (IIBS), won the title of the First Best Participant at the East Java–East Nusa Tenggara regional level in the 2025 AHM Best Student (AHMBS) competition. The social action and ideas competition, run by the Astra Honda Motor network, encourages student solutions to education, health, environmental, and economic issues relevant to the SDGs. Naila will travel to Jakarta as a representative of East Java and NTT to compete on the national level.
On the East Java–NTT regional stage, the committee received approximately 70 proposals from high school students. Following an administrative and substantive selection process, 12 proposals were selected to pass to the regional final presentation session. Of the 12 finalists, Naila and her team were selected to represent East Java–NTT and were ultimately named the top 1 for their innovative healthcare innovation based on local ingredients. The idea was not her own; it was the result of a collaborative team: Chalisah Kanita, Naila Naifatul, Kayla Ashnayu, Nadiya Salma, Fellytha, and Medina Safira. The idea itself was an extension of the "Research Class" project in the Thursina High School department, which they have developed since the 10th grade.
Naila proposed an alternative topical medication for diabetic wound care formulated from available local ingredients. Her idea emphasized accessibility, antiseptic-anti-inflammatory potential, and affordability. "I wanted a solution that was close to the community, easy to make, affordable, and still scientific," Naila said after the regional winner was announced. She added that the next goal is further laboratory testing with campus/clinic partners.
According to Naila, the series of proposal curation and pitching sessions at AHMBS fostered research discipline, scientific communication, and project leadership. She believes the competition format, "Gen-Z: Do Small Steps, Big Impact," encourages students to consider tangible benefits for the community, from formulation design and testing plans to community-based distribution models. She also emphasized that the methodological foundations developed in the 10th grade in Research classes facilitated the development of more robust experimental protocols.
The school expressed its appreciation and called this achievement a testament to the consistent design-test-implement culture at Thursina IIBS. The best one of regional appreciation was awarded after Naila's work was deemed outstanding in terms of originality, usability, implementation plan, and sustainability. Indirect quote: Naila emphasized that the support of her supervisor at the school was instrumental in developing the initial protocol (literature review, organoleptic testing, and preparation stability) before proceeding to more comprehensive laboratory testing.
In general, AHM Best Student provides a platform for student innovation to present inspiring, useful, and replicable solutions. Over winning the East Java-NTT regional competition, Naila stated that she will continue research collaborations and explore downstream processes. "Hopefully, this formulation would become a safe, affordable, and initial treatment option available in the community," Naila concluded. (lil)
