The courage to get out of her comfort zone and be serious about pursuing her dreams led Erwina Safitri to obtain a Master of Science (M.Sc) degree from Kagawa Nutrition University (KNU) Japan – Nutrition Science Degree Program, through the Ajinomoto Scholarship. At the beginning, Erwina didn't expect to be the first person in her family to achieve a master's degree, because previously Erwina was someone who didn't dare to dream. However, since college, he has dared to get out of his comfort zone.

Erwina is the winner of the Ajinomoto Scholarship in the 2021 academic year. Erwina first learned about this scholarship through information from the Ajinomoto website (www.ajinomoto.co.id). For Erwina, taking part in the selection for the Ajinomoto Scholarship is very strict. "The Ajinomoto Scholarship is an extraordinary scholarship program, each year only one scholarship winner is selected. So you could say that Ajinomoto is looking for the best to be given a scholarship to continue his studies in Japan. PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA (Ajinomoto) as the selection organizer is very professional and serious in handling this scholarship program. Through this scholarship, I feel Ajinomoto's support for the nation's children to continue to progress and develop so that in the future they can be useful and have an impact on Indonesia and society at large. "The scholarship program from Ajinomoto provides a living allowance that is more than enough for me to survive in Japan, that is one thing that makes me feel safe and comfortable while living in Japan, so I can focus on my studies," said Erwina.

“My tips during the selection stage, prepare the required documents carefully. Explore the research theme you want to do. After that, even though it is still uncertain, at least dig up a little information about the campus and the supervisor (supervisor) you will choose. The master's program from each campus may be different, for example at KNU requires Japanese language skills for seminars and classes, so more thorough preparation is needed to deepen Japanese. If there are already alumni or seniors at the campus you are visiting, don't hesitate to make friends and ask questions. Finally, if you have been accepted as an awardee, try to finish it well," she continued.

In her success story, Erwina talks about the difficulties she faced when she was still a research student because it was still during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, after the pandemic ended and she entered her period as a Master's Program student, there were several moments that were very memorable for her. "When I was still a research student, the most memorable moment was when I was a student at a Japanese language school. At that time, our class was scheduled for a trip to one of the museums in Tokyo. However, because I couldn't attend due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I was guided online by one of the teachers at my school and explained one by one what was in the museum via video call. Proof that teachers in Japan are very responsible for their students," said Erwina.

While Erwina was undergoing master program, she used her time to study Japanese culture, which was a new culture for her. Of course, this girl from Yogyakarta also often feels homesick, especially for Indonesian food. To reduce feelings of homesickness, Erwina often makes her own Indonesian dishes by buying ingredients and seasonings from special shops that sell Indonesian products. I am very grateful that the ingredients that I often used when I was in Indonesia, for example SAORI®, Sajiku® and Masako®, can be found in Indonesian stores in Japan.

  "After graduating and got a Master's degree, I hope to contribute to the world of education in Indonesia, either as a researcher or lecturer. So the knowledge I received while studying at KNU does not stop with me, but I can share it with colleagues in Indonesia," said Erwina.