Firda Windi, a fifth-semester student at the Faculty of Islamic Studies (Dirasat Islamiyah) of UIN Jakarta, successfully won an award in a news presenter competition organized by the Scientific Writing Club (UKM KIR) at IAIN Bukittinggi. The competition took place from November 8 to December 6, 2021. Firda Windi’s name was announced as the winner of the favorite category through the committee’s YouTube channel.

Starting from a simple desire and followed by consistent practice, these steps led her to achieve this championship. This competition served as a platform for Windi to explore her potential in the field of communication as a news presenter.

“I chose to participate in this news presenter competition because it was exciting. I saw this competition as a medium for developing my potential,” said Windi in an interview with the FDI Journalism Team on Tuesday, December 14, 2021. One of Windi’s training techniques included collaborating on TikTok duets. According to her, her duet partners helped her delve deeper into mastering intonation in news delivery. She also broadened her skills by watching videos on YouTube.

Behind her success, Windi shared an important experience that built her confidence to compete. During her time at the Islamic boarding school, she frequently won speech contests and was even named as an Ambassador of Da’wah. She also often appeared at various events as a master of ceremonies, moderator, or speaker. For her, these experiences fostered the confidence to keep trying.

A student from Dharmasraya, Padang, Windi expressed gratitude for the support of her family, friends in her organization, committee members, classmates, and fellow students at the boarding school. Many of them helped by sharing her YouTube channel featuring the news content she presented.

Windi hopes that this achievement will mark a good start for her journey. She believes that the Faculty of Islamic Studies does not limit the development of its students’ potential, allowing her to explore interdisciplinary skills.

“There is no failure for those who seek a way. When we search for a path, we won’t encounter failure, because among 500 paths, there will always be new things to learn. Failure doesn’t exist. Every failure comes with a lesson. So, whatever you are passionate about, just dive into it. We all have our own potential, so explore it,” she advised at the end of the interview.

(FDI Journalism Team: Raihanizza Ishma Farahiya)