Two Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY) students, Nosi Anggana and Kuswantoro, were named finalists in the 2026 National Outstanding Student Awards (Pilmapres), held at Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN), Tangerang, Banten, from August 4 to 8, 2026. The two represented UNY in different categories.
Nosi Anggana, a student of the Music Education Study Program, competed in the Undergraduate Program category, while Kuswantoro, a student of the Special Education Study Program, became a finalist in the Disability Program category.
Their success in reaching the national stage was the result of continuous mentoring and student potential development. With different academic backgrounds and experiences, Nosi and Kuswantoro presented ideas and achievements that reflected UNY students’ contributions to addressing various issues in society.
Nosi brought forward an idea that combined music, Javanese local wisdom, and environmental issues. Through this idea, he sought to offer a creative approach to responding to the challenges of the climate crisis, particularly in Indonesia’s agricultural sector. “I want to contribute and make an impact in addressing the challenges of the climate crisis in Indonesia’s agricultural sector through music and Javanese local wisdom,” Nosi said. In addition to becoming a finalist in the 2026 National Pilmapres, Nosi also received the Special Award for Impactful Arts. The award served as recognition of his ideas and contributions through the arts, which were developed to create broader impact.
Nosi said he was grateful to have taken part in the entire Pilmapres process up to the national level. According to him, the experience was not only an opportunity to compete, but also a space to develop himself, test his ideas, and learn from outstanding students from various universities across Indonesia. “I am very grateful. I hope the process I have worked on so far can bring positive impact to the surrounding environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kuswantoro said his participation in the National Pilmapres was an important experience to show that students with disabilities have equal opportunities to grow, excel, and contribute. “Thank you to all lecturers and mentors for the support given to us. This has been a very valuable experience at the national level. Hopefully, we can inspire younger students at UNY, and in the future, UNY can reach even greater heights,” he said.
Head of the Special Education Study Program at UNY and Pilmapres mentor, Sukinah, said Pilmapres is a prestigious competition that requires careful preparation and a long mentoring process. According to her, students need to prepare various aspects early in order to perform optimally at the national level. “Students who take part in Pilmapres need to prepare various aspects as well as possible to achieve maximum results, including academic readiness, outstanding achievements, communication skills, and psychological readiness,” Sukinah explained. She added that student achievement does not happen instantly. Consistent mentoring is needed so students can recognize their potential, develop their achievements, and build the confidence to compete at the national level.
UNY Pilmapres PIC Eko Prianto said the achievements of Nosi and Kuswantoro should not be viewed solely from the final results of the competition. According to him, the mentoring process they went through also demonstrated perseverance, the courage to learn, and the willingness to accept feedback and make improvements. “From the beginning of the mentoring process until their appearance at the national level, Nosi and Kuswantoro showed perseverance, the courage to keep learning, and the willingness to accept input. They continued to refine their ideas, strengthen their outstanding achievements, and improve their English skills,” Eko said.
According to Eko, the process is an important part of shaping students who not only achieve excellence, but are also able to develop relevant ideas that benefit society. “Pilmapres is not the finish line, but a starting point to go further. We hope this experience will further strengthen students’ character, confidence, and spirit to continue creating, while inspiring future Pilmapres participants in the coming years,” he said.
For Nosi, participating in the National Pilmapres has become a stepping stone to continue creating works and contributing through the field he is passionate about. He hopes the spirit can continue to be upheld in line with the Pilmapres tagline: “Achieving, Character-Building, and Impactful.”
The achievements of Nosi and Kuswantoro also reflect UNY’s commitment to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 on Quality Education through the development of students’ potential and achievements, and SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities through inclusive achievement opportunities for students with disabilities. Nosi’s idea on the use of music and Javanese local wisdom to respond to the climate crisis is also in line with SDG 13 on Climate Action.
Through the achievements and ideas developed by its students, UNY continues to promote higher education that is not only oriented toward academic achievement, but also toward character building, inclusivity, environmental awareness, and social impact. The accomplishments of Nosi and Kuswantoro are expected to inspire other UNY students to dare to develop their potential, prepare themselves early, and present ideas that are achieving, character-building, and impactful.
