Steven Wijaksana, after undergoing a Final Project trial with Artificial Neural Network and Support Vector Machine methods at the ITS Actuarial Department

ITS Campus, ITS News – Named the best graduate at the 127th Graduation Ceremony of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Steven Wijaksana from the Actuarial Department, Faculty of Science and Data Analytics (FSAD) managed to graduate in 3.5 years with a near-perfect Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.98. Steven took part in the graduation procession on the first day, Saturday (18/3) tomorrow, at the ITS Indoor Futsal Sports Hall.

His love for numeracy made him choose actuarial studies. Moreover, ITS is the only university in Surabaya that offered an actuarial study program in 2019. Bright job prospects with the lure of a lucrative salary were also considered. With this determination, Steven decided to continue his studies at Actuarial ITS.

Steven Wijaksana (bottom right) as a mentor at a virtual event by the ITS Actuarial Student Association.

The desire to become an actuary is also this young man’s passion from Surabaya. Moreover, Indonesia still needs reliable actuaries who can calculate and manage insurance companies’ risks. “If we already have certification from the Indonesian Actuary Association, then the promised salary prospects are also tempting,” said the son of Agustinus Wijaksana and Laurensia Farida.

Steven has worked hard since his first year of university to aim for this goal. Steven developed an ambitious mindset from the first semester to maintain his outstanding academic record. Although his 4th-semester grades dropped, he then bounced back to catch up. As long as he stays focused on his goals and doesn’t get distracted, the second of three children has maintained a good GPA.

Behind his learning success, the alumnus of SMAK St. Louis Surabaya applies several methods and motivations for his learning success. Preferring to study independently rather than in groups, and finding a quiet place to learn makes it easier for him to absorb the subject matter. Not only that but Steven is also known to be keen on setting daily targets. If those targets are met, he will reward himself for his achievements.

Steven Wijaksana during his Practical Lecture (KP) as a data analyst at the Social Security Organizing Agency (BPJS).

Not only pursuing knowledge, the young man born on August 24, 2001, also shares his knowledge through part-time teaching. Through his parents’ tutoring business, Steven shares his expertise in arithmetic and problem-solving. In addition, Steven also developed an interest in investing in the stock market. “Since high school, I have been allowed to mentor my peers and younger siblings to prepare for exams,” said the piano enthusiast.

Steven has undergone Practical Work (KP) as a data analyst at the Social Security Organizing Agency (BPJS) to finalize his preparation before entering the world of work. On this occasion, Steven learned how to process data into pivot tables and classify report results.

Steven Wijaksana, the best undergraduate graduate at the 127th ITS Graduation Ceremony, with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.98.

Completing his undergraduate studies, Steven raised the topic of his Final Project (TA) entitled Financial Distress of Transportation Companies Using Artificial Neural Network and Support Vector Machine Methods. His thesis succeeded in classifying the condition of transportation companies before going out of business by analyzing their financial ratios. When working on the TA, Steven took quite a long time to collect data and produce good coding as needed.

Instead of focusing on the goal, this graduate encourages others to focus on the process and stay consistent. According to him, focusing on what you want to achieve rather than biased goals is better. “Consistency will bring significant changes, and don’t be afraid to start,” he concluded. (ITS Public Relation)

Reporter: Silvita Pramadani