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SWA counselor receives 2020 Yale Educators Award
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(Courtesy of Sinarmas World Academy (SWA))
T
eachers impact children powerfully yet people rarely appreciate teachers’ hard work. Therefore, we often refer to teachers as unsung heroes.
Recognizing the work of teachers is highly important. For instance, the 2020 Yale Educators Award selected Sinarmas World Academy (SWA) counselor Stanislav Sousek as one of its recipients.He has become the only educator from Indonesia to have received the award. The award is administered by the prestigious private Ivy League research university in the United States.
More importantly, the person who nominated Sousek for the award was none other than his former student: a 2020 SWA graduate and scholarship recipient from Yale University, Vijjasena Sugiono.
The Yale Educators award is a program that seeks to recognize outstanding educators from around the world who have supported and inspired their students to attain big dreams. The university then encourages its matriculating students to nominate their high school educators. Then, the Yale admissions committee will review each individual nomination before coming up with final award recipient names.
Out of this year’s 317 nominees, only 57 teachers and 24 counselors from seven countries were selected to receive the award, with only seven international educators, three of which are from Asian schools, including Sousek from Indonesia’s SWA.
Sousek works as a university guidance counselor for SWA, guiding junior high and high school students as they prepare for university. At SWA, university preparation starts in grade 6, where students are challenged to think about their learning goals and the kind of positive impact they want to have on the world.
By grooming these students to enter their dream university, majoring in the fields they are passionate about from such an early age, SWA has planted seeds of ideas in these children’s minds, which translate into purposeful portfolios and projects that help them in their university admission.
Vijjasena recalled fondly that Sousek had helped him get into his dream university – Yale, that is – by guiding and supporting him in a such a manner.
“He selflessly sacrificed his lunchtime and freetime to meet me; his scope of help – including the amount of feedback that he was giving – actually went way beyond what school counselors actually gave their students,” Vijjasena said.
He recalled that Sousek always replied to the texts he sent regarding his university application, even the ones he sent late at night. Not only that, Sousek also involved his parents closely in preparing his university application.
“Without his help, I might not have gotten into Yale. So, I feel that it is just fair that I nominate him [to receive the award] for being such an outstanding counselor,” he continued.
Furthermore, Vijjasena said he also would like to credit his other teachers at SWA, who had also been equally impactful in supporting him and his studies at SWA.
“It’s a pity we’re only allowed to nominate two teachers; otherwise, I would’ve nominated more teachers from SWA,” he said.
He said that Sousek’s excellence as an educator reflected the high quality standard and culture of education he received from SWA.
“In addition to having the skills and knowledge of a teacher, teachers at SWA are so special as they have the heart and passion in guiding the students to achieve their best,” Vijjasena recalled.
Vijjasena’s mother Selina Rachmat also conveyed her gratitude for how the educators at SWA had shaped her son’s future.
“I am grateful that Vijjasena was in this community [SWA] and was being nurtured and supported by extraordinary teachers. His teachers were special as they taught him beyond textbook and [rote] memorization,” she said.
“Furthermore, they open children’s insights, simplify complex concepts so that children could understand them from the latter’s point of view. These teachers also encourage students to apply the concepts in real life, until they deeply understand a concept,” she continued.
“Children are honed in thinking and analyzing, groomed into maturity by the teachers who teach them about the consequences of each decision they make. Obviously, not only the SWA teachers have the knowledge; they also have the passion and willingness to give their children their best,” she concluded.
In response to the award received by Sousek and the praise Vijjasena and his mother expressed for the school’s educators, SWA general manager Deddy Djaja Ria said he was truly proud of SWA’s educators.
“Not only are they smart, they are also committed in giving their students their best. We care and are passionate about the students’ growth and development – that’s what makes the SWA community special,” Deddy said.
Separately, Sousek said it was such an honor to be nominated by his own former student.
“It highlights some of the reasons his applications have been accepted by so many Ivy League and top US universities – because of humility and sense of gratitude. To think he took the time to complete a nomination form, including an essay for the Yale awarding committee to consider me means a lot, more than the award itself,” Sousek said.
“As an educator, it always feels good to know you’re making a difference,” he added.
