Proud achievements were once again earned by students of Universitas Sumatera Utara during the 2026 North Sumatra Regional Outstanding Student Selection (Pilmapres). Two of USU’s top students achieved remarkable accomplishments in the Undergraduate and Diploma/Vocational categories.
Atiqa Zhakira Syahrul, a student from the Faculty of Economics and Business at USU, won 3rd Place in the Undergraduate Program category. Meanwhile, Patrick Nicxon Hutabarat, a student from the Faculty of Vocational Studies at USU, earned 1st Honorable Mention in the Diploma/Vocational Program category.
This year’s regional Pilmapres competition involved 59 universities across North Sumatra, consisting of 43 universities in the Undergraduate category and 26 universities in the Diploma/Vocational category. A total of 69 outstanding students competed by presenting innovative ideas, academic achievements, public speaking abilities, and meaningful contributions to society.
The achievements earned by Atiqa and Patrick reflect USU’s consistency in producing high-achieving students capable of competing at the regional level. Beyond academic excellence, both students demonstrated leadership, communication skills, and a strong commitment to continuous growth amid a highly competitive environment.
Atiqa expressed her gratitude and happiness after securing 3rd Place in the Undergraduate category. According to her, the journey to the regional Pilmapres competition became a valuable experience filled with challenges and lessons.
“Honestly, it was a mix of nervousness, excitement, and gratitude for making it to the regional level. It felt like all the long processes had finally paid off. Meeting many outstanding students from different universities was also an eye-opening experience because every participant had their own inspiring journey and achievements,” said Atiqa.
She also emphasized that the Pilmapres atmosphere provided many new experiences that shaped her perspective and mindset for the future.
“What impressed me the most was how competitive yet supportive the atmosphere was. I learned many new things, from ways of thinking and public speaking to how to create impact through ideas and projects,” she added.
Atiqa hopes that this achievement will not be the end of her journey, but rather the beginning of further growth and contributions that inspire other students.
“I hope to continue achieving the best results and proudly represent the university. More importantly, I hope this experience becomes not the end, but the beginning of continuing to grow, create meaningful work, and make a wider impact,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Patrick Nicxon Hutabarat admitted that he never expected to advance to the regional level and receive 1st Honorable Mention in the Diploma/Vocational category. He described his Pilmapres journey as a meaningful experience of personal growth.
“My feelings were a mixture of happiness, pride, emotion, and disbelief. Honestly, joining Pilmapres started as just a dream, and I never imagined I would make it this far—from representing the university to eventually competing at the regional level,” said Patrick.
According to him, the challenges during the preparation process became valuable experiences that strengthened his mentality and self-confidence.
“Pilmapres is not only about competition, but also about learning to understand myself, handling pressure, and meeting many inspiring people who share the same spirit of growth,” he explained.
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Patrick hopes the experiences he gained during Pilmapres will motivate him to continue growing and exploring new opportunities in the future.
“My hope moving forward is that this experience will not stop as just an achievement, but become the starting point to keep developing, make a wider impact, and continue daring to pursue new opportunities in the future,” he concluded.