Public Sector Accounting Student Wins 1st Place In Social Humanities Category At The Faculty Of Vocational Education Usu Outstanding Student Selection

Medan, April 10, 2026 — Patrick Nicxon Hutabarat, a student of the Applied Bachelor’s Degree Program in Public Sector Accounting at the Faculty of Vocational Education, Universitas Sumatera Utara, achieved an outstanding accomplishment in the Faculty of Vocational Education Outstanding Student Selection (Pilmapres) competition. In the competition, Patrick won 1st Place in the Social Humanities category through his innovative idea on collaborative flood mitigation.

Patrick’s motivation for participating in Pilmapres began with his admiration for Iman Usman, the co-founder of Ruangguru, who had also previously participated in the competition. From there, he viewed Pilmapres not merely as a competition, but as a platform for personal growth. In addition, Patrick wanted to be part of an environment that values learning processes and self-development.

“Besides wanting to develop myself, I also wanted to prove that I am capable of growing and giving my best,” he stated.

In the competition, Patrick introduced an innovative flood mitigation platform that integrates the roles of government, corporations, and communities into one collaborative system. The idea stemmed from his concern that flood management efforts still tend to focus on response rather than prevention. He also highlighted various environmental issues, including low water absorption capacity in certain plantation areas and corporate CSR programs that are not always effectively targeted.

Through this innovation, Patrick aims to provide a more integrated solution to support the creation of a greener and more sustainable environment in North Sumatra. The idea was considered highly relevant to the field of Social Humanities while also aligning with the discipline of Public Sector Accounting, which is closely related to public policy and government management.

The strength of the innovation lies in its collaborative approach, involving three major stakeholders within one platform. Furthermore, the platform has already become accessible and is no longer limited to the prototype stage, giving it greater potential for real implementation.

The selection process at the faculty level was quite challenging. All preparations had to be completed within a short period due to time constraints, including report preparation, presentation development, and delivering materials in English. However, Pilmapres was not Patrick’s first competition. His previous experiences in various competitions became valuable preparation in overcoming the challenges of Pilmapres.

Amid competition with top students from different study programs, Patrick admitted that he initially felt less confident. Nevertheless, he managed to transform his nervousness into motivation to deliver his best performance. His hard work eventually paid off when his name was announced as the 1st Place winner in the Social Humanities category.

“I truly did not expect it because all participants had very impressive innovative ideas. Even before the announcement, I had no expectations at all and was still thinking about the midterm exam I had to take after the competition,” he said.

Patrick’s achievement was inseparable from the support of many parties, including family, friends, and academic supervisors who continuously provided guidance and motivation throughout the preparation process. Their support became a major source of strength during every stage of the competition.

This accomplishment has also advanced Patrick to the university-level selection stage. In the next round, he will compete alongside the winner of the Science and Technology category to determine the best delegate who will represent the diploma program of Universitas Sumatera Utara at the regional-level Pilmapres competition.

Through this achievement, it is hoped that Patrick will continue delivering his best performance while bringing pride to the Applied Bachelor’s Degree Program in Public Sector Accounting and the Faculty of Vocational Education USU at higher levels of competition.

This achievement demonstrates that vocational education students not only excel in practical skills, but are also capable of creating innovative ideas that are relevant to social and environmental issues. The Applied Bachelor’s Degree Program in Public Sector Accounting remains committed to supporting students in developing their potential, achieving excellence, and contributing through innovations that create meaningful impacts for society.

Concerns over flooding issues and environmental policies inspired an outstanding innovation that combines technology, collaboration, and social awareness within a single platform.

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