Depok, September 13th 2023. For some people, balancing studies, achievements, and hobbies is a challenge. However, for Muhammad Aqsha Aufarahim Amato Rudolph, student at the Department of Mechanical Engineering (DTM), Faculty of Engineering (FT), Universitas Indonesia (UI), this challenge is possible to conquer. With good time management, Amato has succeeded in proving that studies, achievements, and hobbies can be achieved brilliantly.
One of the successes in time management was demonstrated by Amato through his success as a talented young racer at Toyota Gazoo Racing Indonesia (TGRI). Since joining TGRI, Amato has continued to improve his achievements. Recently, he succeeded in winning the Sentul Series Of Motorsport (ISSOM) event, a national racing competition series 3 in 2023. He became the first champion in the Indonesian Touring Car Race (ITCR) 1200 class. This ability will then be pitted against him in the Indonesian event Touring Car Race (ITCR) 2023.
In the interview session, Amato said that his career in the world of racing began when he was in elementary school. His love for the automotive world brought him into the world of racing. However, he did not abandon his obligation to education. Since childhood, his parents taught him to balance studies and hobbies. It is this value that Amato maintains to this day, so that he can achieve brilliant education and achievements.
“I believe that everything must be balanced, including education and career. I want the college major I choose to be related to my career as a racer. Therefore, I chose UI Mechanical Engineering as my main choice so that I would be able to understand engineering sciences to support my future career,” said Amato.
According to him, his career journey and achievements in the world of racing cannot be separated from his education at the UI campus. The success of his career in the world of racing was one of the key points in his acceptance at UI because this class of 2020 student was admitted through the talent scouting route. Amato said that while he was a UI student, he always received full support from the campus to pursue his hobby.
Apart from providing support, he believes that studying at UI taught him to think quickly and accurately which was useful for him, both in academics and racing competitions. Education at UI is not only focused on academics, but also on providing competencies to help students face challenges in various fields.
“In the future, of course I have bigger hopes and aspirations. Becoming a reliable engineer is one step that can support my career in racing. A racer will have an advantage and will be greatly helped when he understands the knowledge of the vehicle he is using,” said Amato.
Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, appreciated Amato’s achievements. He said, “This is a clear example that studying will not take away time to pursue hobbies. In fact, Amato’s hobby can coexist with his career and studies. We will continue to provide support to all students who want to develop themselves for brilliant achievements that will make FTUI and UI proud.”
