I am talking about a young man named Ariz Putra. He was my student at our school, graduated and started working for Thalassa as a dive guide. At Thalassa he became Divemaster and instructor and when one of our loyal guests Rinie Klein heard that he was doing so well, she offered him a scholarship to study at the local university.
He completed his study of coral reefs in a record time of just over 4 years, and it would have been faster had Covid not slowed progress.
This month, January 2022, he graduated, and not only that. He did it cum laude.
When I asked what the next step would be, he reluctantly told me that, although with great regret, he would not return to Thalassa or become a teacher at the school. He has been invited to continue his studies in Japan.
I am definitely sad to see him go, but at the same time am so proud and happy for him. These success stories make me want to continue what we are doing here with the young people of the villages. I hope more will follow. Thank you Rinie, without you it wouldn’t have been possible.
