FDK UINSA Newsroom, (6/11/2023); The proud tears of joy were evident on the face of Ahmad Nasikhul Huda, a student from the Islamic Communication and Broadcasting (ICB) program at the Faculty of Da’wah and Communication (FDK) UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya (UINSA), after successfully being selected as the Winner of the National Islamic Student Ambassador 2023 in celebration of National Santri Day 2023 on Friday (20/10).
The National Islamic Student Ambassador has been a crucial part of the National Santri Day celebrations since 2016. This competition was participated in by 6,431 students from 37 provinces across Indonesia, culminating in the selection of 48 finalists who advanced to the grand final round at the Auditorium of Nahdlatul Ulama University Surabaya (UNUSA).
The proliferation of negative issues circulating on various social media platforms about the world of pesantren, prompted this student, born in Lamongan, East Java, to muster the courage to apply for the National Islamic Student Ambassador 2023. Armed only with effort and prayers, the spirit of this 5th-semester student remained unyielding. There were 8 selection stages to go through, from documentation to the grand final stage, in order to become the champion of the National Islamic Student Ambassador 2023.
Many unexpected things happened during the selection process for the National Islamic Student Ambassador 2023. Nasikh admitted experiencing a ‘culture shock’ during the selection, particularly during a ‘beauty class’ session, as he had never participated in diplomatic events and was unfamiliar with the world of facial makeup.
After going through various selection stages, tears of pride and joy came from Ahmad Nasikhul Huda as he successfully emerged as the winner of the National Islamic Student Ambassador 2023. This unexpected achievement crossed Nasikh’s mind because it was his first participation in such an ambassadorial event. Hard work and maximum effort finally paid off as Nasikh succeeded in becoming a National Islamic Student Ambassador for 2023.
He didn’t let this golden opportunity go to waste. Nasikh has a strong determination and a significant goal of revitalizing and restoring the image of the pesantren world from its initially negative state to a blessed one through rebranding, aiming for its recovery and positive transformation, which was his initial purpose in applying for the National Islamic Student Ambassador 2023.
Journalist: Farid Ali Yafi
Editor: Nur Romdlon
Translator : Fadya Majida Az-Zahra
