Ika Hilwa Silvia Wins 1st Place in Essay Writing Competition World Social Workers Day Essay Competition Student/Practitioner Category
Banjarmasin – Ika Hilwa Silvia, a student of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM), won first place in the essay writing competition for the student/practitioner category held by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta (FISIP UMJ). This competition was held to commemorate World Social Workers Day, which focused on the role of social workers in various fields, such as bullying in schools and digital information technology. This competition consists of three categories, namely essay writing, short videos, and essays, where Ika chose the essay category. The entire competition process, from registration, writing, to judging, was done online.
In her essay entitled “When the Real World is Too Bright, We Are Here in Darkness: The Underground Sanctuary” Ika raised the issue of the role of social workers in dealing with mental health problems in adolescents. She highlighted the importance of attention to mental illness in adolescents, especially in vulnerable groups such as teenagers and punk communities in big cities. The concept of “Underground Sanctuary” that she carries focuses on social intervention to support the mental health of adolescents living in marginalized environments.
Ika explained that she was interested in exploring the issue of adolescent mental health in depth because of the many mental problems experienced by children. “I see that mental illness in adolescents is very crucial, especially in vulnerable groups such as teenagers and punk communities in big cities. That is why Underground Sanctuary exists, because this social intervention concept focuses on mental health for adolescents living in marginalized environments,” she said.
To ensure that her essay has an accurate basis, Ika conducted in-depth research by looking for relevant data, literature, journals, articles, and scientific references. She also prepared a writing framework so that her ideas were more structured, and made continuous revisions and improvements by asking for opinions from lecturers and friends.
The biggest challenge Ika faced was managing time and ensuring that her essay had strong and innovative arguments and data. Because her essay was research-based, she had to be very selective in choosing references. “The biggest challenge was managing time and making sure my essay had strong and innovative arguments and data. Because it was research-based, I had to be really selective in choosing references,” she added.
Ika felt very grateful and proud of her achievement. “Becoming the first winner was beyond my expectations, but it reminded me that hard work and dedication always pay off. I also feel motivated to continue honing my writing skills in the future,” she said.
She hopes that this achievement can be the first step to work and contribute in other competition fields, such as scientific papers and posters. Ika is also motivated to join more competitions and share knowledge with others, and perhaps produce bigger works such as books or writings. “Hopefully, this achievement can be the first step to work and contribute in other competition fields. This also motivates me to join more competitions and share knowledge with others,” she concluded.
