Feature: Esteemed graduation in China inspires Indonesian mother, son

TIANJIN, July 25 (Xinhua) — Seeing his son’s image on a banner hanging at the roadside on campus at Tianjin University in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, Esther Samosir Pakpahan from Indonesia could not help but feel a strong sense of pride.
“It’s so inspirational, and a huge honor for my family,” Pakpahan said, a businesswoman who arrived in China in June to attend her son’s commencement.
Her son Timothy Joseph Hutagaol was among the first five international students recognized as outstanding graduates of the university, with their photos displayed on banners aside the main road on campus. He gained the title not only for his academic performance in chemical engineering but also for being a student ambassador, helping the university recruit international students.
He has shared his campus life in China through hundreds of posts on social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WeChat and Bilibili, drawing more than 1 million views. His online presence also helped attract more than 50 international students to enroll at the university.
Raised by his single mother, Hutagaol studied hard and graduated from high school with excellent academic performance in the Indonesian national examination in 2019. Then, Hutagaol decided to pursue his undergraduate studies at Tianjin University.
“I love science and engineering, and nothing combines the two better than chemical engineering,” he said, adding that his choice won his mom’s full support.
In the summer of 2020, Hutagaol received an admission letter from Tianjin University with a chemical engineering scholarship, making him the first and only one in this generation of his family to earn a fully-funded undergraduate scholarship abroad.
During his studies, he collaborated with doctoral and postgraduate students from the lab and published a paper in the Journal of Food Chemistry as the first author and another in the Journal of Applied Energy as a co-author.
“This experience cemented my passion for chemical engineering research,” Hutagaol said.
His journey now continues as he has been awarded a full scholarship from the Chinese Government Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in chemical engineering at the university.
For Hutagaol, the recognition banner and his mom’s presence at his commencement brought a perfect close to his undergraduate studies.
“I wanted my mom to be part of this wonderful journey in China. Without her love and support, I wouldn’t be here,” Hutagaol said.
During their free time, Hutagaol took his mom on a city walk in Tianjin.
“Tianjin is clean and well-organized,” the mother noted. “So much modern technology everywhere. Even payments are made through QR codes. It’s impressive.”
The excellent facilities and welcoming environment she observed both in the city and on campus solidified her support for Hutagaol to further his studies at the university.
“I’m really grateful to the university for bringing out the best in my son,” she said. ■