Invitation
The past weekend was my first experience being a moderator on a “Women in Geology” talk show held to celebrate the 59th anniversary of the Indonesian Association of Geologists (IAGI).
The talk show discussed the experiences of several inspiring Srikandi Geologi in Indonesia who have always been on the front line in their sectors, facing the 4.0 era and giving millennial advice. The committee asked people from three main groups to speak at the event: academics, government, and industry.
Ibu Mega Fatimah Rosana
Ibu Made Emmy Suparka
The chairman of the event, Cindi Kamelina, told me to be the moderator because the main moderator whom the committee had invited wasn’t available. At that moment, I thought that I wouldn’t connect the idea of every speaker she asked. I have never been a moderator for any professional meetings. I had no idea what I should do. But suddenly, I remember that every mentor I met in my life always told me, and one motivational quote from Richard Branson said:
“When someone offers the amazing opportunity, while I’m not sure I can do that, just say YES, then learn how to do it later”.
The first task I got was to contact Ibu Parvita H Siregar, whom I had really admired since college. We had a long discussion on Whatsapp, but she decided to discuss the topic through a phone call. Throughout my career as a geologist, I felt more than blessed to communicate with several extraordinary professional geologists. Ibu Parvita really gave me insightful thoughts related to the theme. I told Ibu Parvita that I had never been a moderator before, so I was sorry if I had given her any disappointment on the D day. Still, amazingly, Ibu Parvita was courageous and convinced me that I would successfully lead the talk show. The committee’s opportunity would be a learning experience for me to be a better geologist.
The sessions went well. Alhamdulillah, on D day, at the end of the session, besides getting precious knowledge from the speakers, I also got very positive feedback, which I always admired. And what made that day more unforgettable was that most of the senior geologists personally congratulated me. They felt that I succeeded in connecting the diverse sectors’ ideas during the talk show. Truth be told, I had never imagined that I would see many sincere smiles when the talk show was over.
Photo at the end of the session
I couldn’t describe how blessed I was to be the moderator for this fantastic talk show. The moment I met all the Kartini (s) of Indonesian geologists whom I always admired was a moment I will never forget. The past weekend marks that, as a young geologist, I should not stop learning from the gray hairs, no hairs, and all seniors to be a well-rounded geologist. All this positive recognition should not comfort me; it is just a reminder that
“All risk should be taken and believe that the dots will connect to one another in the future”.
Alhamdulillah, as a fresh graduate, I got many overwhelming opportunities from every mentor I had and people in the organization with whom I met. The trust that they gave me really helped me grow throughout my career as a geoscientist.
Thank you very much, IAGI for the trust!
“Trust is the highest form of human motivation. It brings out the very best in people.” Stephen R. Covey
On the day before
I got another overwhelming opportunity from SM IAGI Universitas Pertamina. They invited me to be the speakers for their sharing session with the theme “Full-pack geoscientist wanna be!”. We talked about the importance of play-based exploration, how big data changes everything, and how to start and finish being a geoscientist.
It was my second time coming to Universitas Pertamina. During the sharing session, I saw all the students with a lot of potential. Attractively, we had a back-and-forth discussion. At the end of the session, I gave the closing statement and shared what I believed with them: “All risks should be taken and believe that the dots will connect to one another in the future,” and I wished a successful career for them ahead.
Thank you very much SM IAGI Universitas Pertamina!
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