BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – A sad story occurred during the 2021/2022 Batch II Graduation Ceremony at the Harris Hotel and Convention, Festival Citylink, Bandung, on Saturday, 28 May 2022.
A man with a kopyah and black shirts was seen sitting at the back row with hundreds of graduated of the Faculty of Engineering, holding a toga and wearing a pin on his chest marking the graduation participants.
He is Haji Rasta, a farmer from Gegesik Sub-District, Cirebon District, who replaces his son to attend the graduation ceremony and receive graduation certificate.
The atmosphere is even more emotional when Haji Rasta also read out the graduation vows and came forward to be inducted at the inauguration procession.
His son, Muhammad Ali Yunan, Isnan, S.T passed away before graduating. Ali is a student of class-of-2016 of Food Technology Study Program. Ali died in 6 February 2022, of a lung disease, shortly after he finished his final assignment and earned his degree in Bachelor Program.
His father said that Ali was a quiet person and did not want burden his parents. To his friends, Ali complained of lung pain and had several visits to the internal medicine doctor.
“His friends said that Ali often coughed and had a fever, but he was still able to participate in campus activities. I just found out from his close friend that my son is sick, so I took him from his dorm house to be taken to the hospital,” he said, with teary eyes.
Before he died, Ali had been treated three times in a hospital in Cirebon. “My son’s condition dropped after completing the final assignment session, he even got a bachelor’s degree,” he said.
After the graduation procession was over, Unpas Rector, Prof. Dr. Ir. H. Eddy Jusuf Sp, M.Sc., M. Kom., IPU. approached and hugged Haji Rasta.
The Rector, along with Vice Rector I, Prof. Dr. H. Jaja Suteja, M.Si., and Vice Rector III Dr. H. Deden Ramdan, M.Si. expressed their condolences and prayed for the late Muhammad Ali Yunan Isnan.
Especially, Dean of Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Ir. Yusman Taufik, M.P and Vice Dean I of Faculty of Engineering also went to meet Haji Rasta to send their deep condolences. (Reta)**