Thursina IIBS student has once again gained achievement in national competition. This time, Muhammad Alifiandra Vairell Degistra, a 9th-grade student, won third place in the prestigious Java English Competition (JEC) 2025, organized by Sunan Ampel State Islamic University (UINSA) Surabaya.
The event is one of the largest English language competitions in Java, examining academic and communication skills of its participants. In his remarks, Ustaz Prasetyono Herdianto, S.Pd., the instructor, explained that the preparation process for the JEC was intensive. "The training and coaching from the preliminary to the final round took approximately 1.5 months and involved about 45 meetings," said Ustaz Pras.
Coaching is not merely about exercises; it focuses on strategies based on the competition format. In the preliminary round, participants work on English language questions, similar to a typical Olympiad. However, JEC has a unique approach: in the semifinals, participants are required to write an essay without any aids, while in the final round, they must present it in English and answer questions from the judges.
"Therefore, the training includes writing structure, spelling accuracy, vocabulary booster, and public speaking," he added.
On the other hand, the JEC attracted a number of 156 participants in the preliminary round. Nevertheless, only 25 passed to the semifinals, with the remaining 10 participants advancing to the final round, including Vairell, who demonstrated consistent outstanding performance.
Ustaz Pras emphasized that the achievement is even more special because since seventh grade, Vairell has participated in various competitions, from storytelling to English Olympiads. "Alhamdulillah, Vairell's fortune lies in the JEC event. His efforts have finally paid off," said Ustaz Pras.
For the mentor, Vairell's achievement is a combination of hard work and perseverance. "Alhamdulillah, I'm delighted and grateful that Vairell's hard work has paid off, even though I did not set any targets," he said.
He also said that what made him proud wasn't just the results, but also Vairell's earnestness and resilience during the continuous learning process. (iz/lil)
