Aditya Mongan, a senior from Indonesia studying business management, has been selected as the student speaker at the BYU–Hawaii Winter 2015-2016 Commencement ceremony.
With his knowledge and experience, he said he hopes his speech will illustrate that success is possible no matter where someone comes from and teach students how to stand up for their beliefs.
Born in Jakarta, Indonesia and serving a mission there, Mongan said he is humbled to represent his country as a graduation speaker. “Knowing that there are not a lot of people from my country in this school, I feel it’s a great privilege to show how much I’ve learned from my culture and my family.”
Mongan said at first, he had felt overwhelmed at the prospect of being the student speaker because he thought there were other people who were better qualified, smarter or more faithful than him. “However, I realized that there was a reason why I was chosen. Maybe it is because someone will need to hear what I have to say, or maybe this is an important event that will give me an essential skill that I need to develop to change my life.”
His wife, Annie Mongan, a senior studying business management from California, said when Mongan came here from Indonesia, he did not know what to expect or where he would be going in life.
According to Annie, through his diligence and hard work, he was able to grow and develop to become a leader in his church callings and relationships with others. “As he delivers his speech, I hope that individuals are empowered and feel that they can become great people and succeed in life, no matter where they come from,” Annie continued.
In his speech, Mongan plans to inspire all the graduating students, including himself, to stand for what is true.
Mongan said, “Elder Renlund’s talk in Regional Conference gave me an idea of what I wanted my theme to be. So I’m basing my speech on how all of us, members or non-members, should find something to stand up for.”
He decided on this theme because he knows after college, there will be more hardships in life and “we need to know what we stand for.”
Mongan is the eldest of three, and his brother, Nerendra Mongan, a senior information technology major from Indonesia, said he was surprised and happy after hearing the news about his brother.
“My brother has always set the bar and I am proud of him. He is very knowledgeable and resourceful so I know that when people listen to his speech, they will learn a lot,” said Nerendra.
Although Mongan said he is sad to be leaving BYUH, he is grateful for the time he spent in the school and described it as a “learning experience.”
Having studied finance and supply chain since 2013, he said he is excited to no longer be in “hard classes” and juggling work. His first job was in the Island Buffet restaurant at the Polynesian Cultural Center where he met his wife, Annie. “I think we’re the fourth couple that got married from that restaurant,” joked Mongan.
He then worked on campus as a tutor for SATs. He also served as the president for the Indonesian Student Association for two semesters, he said.
Despite all these opportunities he received at BYUH, Mongan thinks the people he has met are the biggest assets he has gained from his time here. “I’ve developed a strong relationship with my friends here and that bond will last longer than we can expect,” said Mongan.
As a strong believer of the importance of education, Mongan does not believe his education will end after graduation. “I’m excited for the future ahead of me. I want to obtain my master’s degree, pursue my career so on and so forth. I don’t know what is coming, but I’m excited.”