Values and character remain as the jewels on ITHB’s crown

Hesalonica Fransisca is right about one thing. Since she was young and when she had little understanding on the term, she believes that ‘values are a key advantage in life’.  Despite the lack of interest on virtues among some young people, she believes that values are still relevant for students who aim to accomplish the highest level of achievement in life. Hesalonica’s maxim is also strongly held by Institut Teknologi Harapan Bangsa (ITHB) Bandung, a university that she attended for her first degree. So after she graduated from the accounting program at ITHB in 2011, Hesalonica did not have to wait very long before she could see the truth in her belief. As a young professional working in the area of Risk Management with Astra International, Tbk., Hesalonica’s values now already have a direct impact on her job.

“In this area, you cannot just be technically proficient. You must actively earn the respect and trust from your bosses and colleagues by demonstrating your values, things such as trustworthiness, sense of responsibility, respect for people, and orientation towards results. You also have to make professional judgments that you may need to defend. Without being aware about the company’s values and your own, I mean, understanding what is important to the company and what is important to you, you can make a terrible mistake in your job. Thankfully, I learned about this importance of those values when I was studying at ITHB.”

Hesalonica was one of the fortunate college students who found a university that help her to recognize and nurture values and virtues that are inevitably required in the professional world.

“I was very determined to find a college that has a good ‘value education’ and applies the same core values that they teach to the students in all aspects in the campus’ daily life. I believe that is probably the most important factor that makes a university stands out from the rest. The other aspects such as school ranking or facilities, may be important too, but to me they seem more like an icing on the cake.”

Of course Hesalonica was just trying to think in the most reasonable and realistic way to ensure that all her dreams and hopes are perfectly anchored in the right harbor. When she learned about ITHB, she found at least four reasons for her to study there.

 “Before I joined the campus, I could only have an external view of ITHB. And it looks convincing for several reasons. The first is the college is peaceful, looks very professional, and has extremely clean environment, as reflected by the strict policy of no smoking in the campus. It might be a simple thing but it reflects the strong culture you can expect to find in the college. Secondly, is the internationally recognized professional certification that ITHB offers such as SAP, ORACLE, etc. ITHB’s graduates have proven how valuable the certification can be when you aspire for an international career. Thirdly, ITHB’s Career Resource Centre complement the formal curriculum by equipping the students with practical and career skills, that would include various competences such as leadership and communication, career planning, resume writing and interviewing. And lastly, ITHB graduates have very strong and positive reputation in the marketplace.”

So in 2007, Hesalonica joined Harapan Bangsa Business School (part of ITHB) to become the first batch of the Accounting Program. For some people, her decision was as a bold move, but to her it was an honor. “To graduate from ITHB would be a dream comes true. A jewel in my crown as a student,” she said.

Hesalonica believed that what she later found during her study was even better than her expectations. The people that she met there, especially the leaders of the university, are high achievers in the business and academic world. More importantly, they are accessible by the students and willing to spend time to talk to the students. Consequently, their influence on the students are a lot more than just a transfer of knowledge and knowhow. The senior people at ITHB such as Mr. Bersih Tarigant (founder), Dr. Samuel Tarigan (rector), Dr. Willy (academic director), Dr. Jusak (deputy for lecturer), Dr. Maclaurin Hutagalung (deputy for research) and many others all have inspiring stories about how they became so successful in the academic and business world, and life in general. Their collective experience in studying abroad, getting scholarships for graduate study, completing their studies in world renowned and demanding universities, overcoming difficulties, obstacles, and failures in life, starting careers with multinational companies such as Ernst & Young, Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, and others, and starting up new ventures that have been very successful in the areas of plantation, manufacturing, property and others, have significantly encouraged many students, including Hesalonica, to give the best out of her potentials. The leaders are even willing to provide guidance and advice for the students in difficult, critical, or decisive life situations.

“Before I know it, I have become a high achiever myself. I also believe that I have grown to become a better person in terms of integrity and character. I believe the people in the campus have tremendously helped me build a rock solid foundation for the values that I have chosen to live my life with.”

The positive spirit and vibrant spiritual life in the campus clearly has made an impact on her.  There is one message from Mr. Bersih Tarigant that Hesalonica will not forget, “Success is not getting what you want, but living a life that can be significant and meaningful to others.”

All of the experience eventually shaped her to become more productive and effective. During her study, Hesalonica achieved many prestigious achievements. She became the chairwoman of “Himpunan Mahasiswa Akuntansi 2009-2010”.  She also initiated and organized the accounting faculty annual events, the HBBS Accounting Competition for high schools.

Like many other ITHB students, Hesalonica was offered a prestigious job long before her graduation day. As her first employment, she joined Accenture (world’s largest IT consulting company) for a technology project in Malaysia. Having completed her project in Kualalumpur, she took up another challenge at one of Indonesia’s largest and prestigious companies, Astra International Tbk, as an Advisory Risk Consultant. Her qualification, competence, values, attitude and character, all have played important roles in her recruitment and placement in this ‘risky’ area.

In this giant company, Hesalonica is currently quickly expanding her area of competence. Her current assignment requires her ability not only to accurately and quickly crunch numbers, but also to think strategically. She needs to be able to conduct thorough strategic risk analysis on the global expansion of the Astra Group.

When a prominent company like Astra International, Tbk. relies on individual like Hesalonica Fransisca to control its expansion, we can have a pretty good idea of how reliable she is. The best companies only employ the best.

Reflecting from the past, Hesalonica probably would have never been on her current position, had she not chosen to be part of ITHB. “I would never stop thanking God for the opportunity to become a part of the wonderful family of ITHB. I am very proud to have a network with so many high achievers in the campus, and also with successful friends and colleagues, from many different backgrounds, cultures and personalities.  What I went through turned out to be way better than what I expected. And I believe this is also going to be true for my future, as long as I hold on to the virtues and am willing to learn and adapt in every new situation”.