Breaking Through the Boundaries of Self: The Romance of Khoerun’s Struggle in the Embrace of the Seven Promises
INDRAMAYU-JAYA NEWS.CON – That morning, Thursday, January 15, 2026, the clock seemed to tick slower in Sandrem Hamlet, Mekarjaya Village. Amidst the silence of the new year, a man stared at his smartphone screen with teary eyes. There, on the postgraduate results page of Yogyakarta State University (UNY), was engraved a number that was more than just an academic score: a GPA of 3.72.
For Khoerun, that number was a proclamation of independence. Freedom from the shackles of past limitations and solid proof that destiny can be changed with determination.
Light from the Inspirator
Flashing back two decades, Khoerun was a nobody. He came to Al-Zaytun with only a junior high school diploma and a passion for service. However, he was under the auspices of a grand vision: Al-Zaytun, the Center for Education to Develop a Culture of Tolerance and Peace Towards a Healthy, Intelligent, and Humane Society.
It was here that he met his inspiration, Sheikh Al-Zaytun Sheikh AS Panji Gumilang, S.Sos., M.P., a figure who believed that every human being, regardless of background, had the right to climb the educational ladder as high as possible. Thanks to his generosity, the doors of adult schools were opened wide to employees seeking to upgrade themselves.
A Steep Road to the Top
Khoerun’s journey is a romance between hard work and opportunity. He started his long journey from the bottom:
1. 2005: He completed the Package C program at Al-Zaytun Adult School.
2. 2020: He earned his Bachelor’s degree (S1) from the Al-Zaytun Islamic Institute of Indonesia, Faculty of Sharia.
3. 2026: He is now at the pinnacle of his Master’s degree in Non-Formal Education at UNY.
Through the Prior Learning Recognition (RPL) program, based on Ministerial Regulation No. 41 of 2021, Khoerun’s years of work experience are recognized as academic qualifications. However, navigating hybrid (online and offline) courses while also fulfilling his responsibilities as head of a household and tutor at the Al-Zaytun Community Learning Center (PKBM) is no easy feat.
“My days are spent serving in the fields of civilization, and the rest of my days are spent grappling with books. In between my duties as a tutor and manager of the entrepreneurship division, I rack my brain for portfolios and coursework. Space and time are no longer barriers, but platforms for continued growth,” Khoerun said.
Keeping a Sacred Promise
What Khoerun has achieved today is more than just pursuing a degree. It is a profound reflection of the implementation of the seventh Sapta Janji Darma Bakti:
“I will never give up on learning, serving, and passing on values.”
He dedicates his 3.72 GPA to his dedication. As a tutor at the Al-Zaytun Community Learning Center (PKBM), he now applies the knowledge he has gained to develop project-based learning, a concrete implementation of his duties in the entrepreneurship and marketing division.
Closing: Dawn in Sandrem Village
On the horizon of Sandrem Village, the sun may set every evening, but in Khoerun’s heart, dawn has just broken. He is not just a number in the graduation statistics; he is living proof that a junior high school diploma is not the finish line, but merely the starting point of a sacred marathon.
Now, every step he takes in the corridors of Al-Zaytun is no longer just that of a teacher, but that of a warrior who has conquered his own limitations. He has kept his seventh promise to the universe: to never stop learning, to continue serving, and to pass on that fire of enthusiasm to other souls who are about to give up.
Khoerun has proven: when willpower meets the generosity of a teacher, and perseverance meets the prayers of a family, no wall is too high to climb, no dream too far to embrace. He is a lantern now burning brightly, ready to burn away the darkness of ignorance around him.***
Khoerun
Tutor, PKBM Al Zaytun
Dr. Ali Aminulloh ( editor )
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