Andi Manurung: The Journey to Achieve His Full Potential

Andi Saputra Manurung was born in Parapat, North Sumatra on July 30, 1993. Coming from a disadvantaged family where both parents work as coffee farmers and have to support four other children,  Andi hopes to have a better life in the future. He also knows that education is the key to achieve this dream.

However, the journey to achieve this dream was not as smooth as he had hoped for. Although his grades from elementary to senior high school were excellent, he could not afford to continue his education.

Andi did not let this situation stop him from achieving his dream. He used the free time to save money in any ways he could. He worked together with his father in coffee plantation. He also worked in building and street construction projects. After one year of working here and there, he was able to save enough money to continue his education. He chose to attend Political Science Department of Universitas Sumatera Utara.

At the beginning, Andi had to find additional income to buy books and other learning materials. During his free time, Andi also worked as a tutor in a learning center in Medan. He also learned to live frugally and save the money sent by his parents.

Andi feels that the scholarship from Tanoto Foundation has helped him a great deal. This is because, as a Tanoto Scholar, he is also able to explore other activities that help him realize his full potential. In addition to maintaining his excellent academic performance, Andi is actively involved in many organizations. For example, as a member of the National Student Front, he spends his time teaching in many elementary schools in Medan.

The provision of scholarships by Tanoto Foundation is based on the belief of the Foundation’s founder, Bapak Sukanto Tanoto. He believes that every person should have the opportunity to realize his or her full potential. Further, education is the basis to achieve this goal and, with education, the possibility to have a better future will be improved. To date, Tanoto Foundation has provided more than 5,200 scholarships to students from all levels of education in Indonesia.