“After they evaluated me, they saw an insightful person, and my analysis is rooted when I analyze church and outside the church,” Cindy said, a CRCS 2006 alumna, when asked about the benefit she earned in studying at CRCS.
She works fulltime at Gereja Kristen Indonesia (GKI) ‘Bromo’ in Malang, Jawa Timur. She also has a big responsibility in managing education at a church and the Christian Education Foundation ‘Kamerdi.’
This woman whose full name is Cindy Quartyamina Koan really enjoys her job. Cindy has served GKI Bromo at its Department of Special Service, Education and Children Commission since May 2009. She has also been the manager of the school of Christian Education Foundation ‘Kamerdi’ since early February 2010.
For her, the church and the foundation see and support her competence in the education world. Her experience as Education Consultant at Tunas Wiyata Institute in Yogyakarta for 7 months has developed her competence. She was asked by Kamerdi Foundation to maintain the teaching and learning at one of their schools.
Cindy, who was ‘putri’ (princess) to her classmates at CRCS, also said that CRCS developed her competence. “At CRCS, there were materials of education world which others did not have, especially in the class taught by Tabita Christiani, about religious education,” Cindy said.
Her experience with her classmates at CRCS became her most interesting experience during her 2-year stay at CRCS. “With my classmates, it was fun, like a family, we didn’t only talk about something formal in the classes, but also non-formal conversation outside of the classes openly,” Cindy said with a happy expression.
Her most favorite class was “Religion, Science and Technology” (RST) under Dr. Zainal A. Bagir. According to her, at the beginning of her study at CRCS, she felt bored because the substances of the classes were mostly similar to what she learned from her undergraduate program which was the Faculty of Theology at Satya Wacana Christian University. However, she said that in Dr. Bagir’s class, it was very interesting; it was simply different from the other classes she had. “This class [RST] made me, personally, got another side that I did not have from the Faculty of Theology. The experience of writing book reviews an hour before the class starts with my classmates was also fun,” Cindy said.
Her research experience together with the CRCS people in making a film in Boyolali was also an experience that had built her knowledge to be insightful and rooted. “Rooted means totally focus on the problem. Like the mountains of ice, I don’t only see the surface, but also see under the surface, the base,” said the woman who was born in Surabaya.
However, Cindy also sees some important things that should be improved or developed at CRCS. For her, the cultural aspect, which is part of CRCS name, should be given a good portion as well as the religious aspect in the studies. The position of the lecturers in their job and teaching should be clear; it should be based on their experience. In addition, if there is a promise to give scholarships, CRCS needs to manage it well, to guide the students in receiving their scholarships.
Cindy who focused on the ‘spiritual capital’ studies for her thesis at CRCS is also interested in the next level of study, and that is to pursue a PhD program. “I’ll be more focus on ‘business religion,’ religions become business, also about the rise of religions,” Cindy emphasized her plan for a postgraduate degree. (JMI)
