Defending Our Dreams

Defending Our Dreams: The Thesis Proposal Seminar*

By Leni Marlina*

In a room where ideas illuminate,
Our hearts race, destinies await,
Facing the panel, we stand bold,
Ready to present, stories unfold.

Proposals bound with meticulous care,
Questions rise, tension fills the air,
Advisor, reviewers, peers all see,
We defend our work, with integrity.

Each question posed, a mountain to climb,
Under the seminar's relentless time,
We draw from depths of sleepless nights,
To present and defend our thesis proposal, to reach new heights.

With trembling hands and voices pure,
We lay out our methods, intentions sure,
Data source, theories, all revealed,
In this moment, our fate is sealed.

Questions sharp, like piercing eyes,
We navigate with wisdom, clear and wise,
Through every challenge, we hold fast,
Our passion and resolve unsurpassed.

In the gaze of reviewers, we find light,
Their guidance like stars in the night,
With knowledge as our guiding flame,
Our research journey is our claim.

Friends in the audience, nods like beams,
Their support fuels our dreams,
Together we strive, grow, and ascend,
In this seminar, futures blend.

As the session ends, a breath anew,
With each response, confidence grew,
We leave the room, spirits bright,
Guided by knowledge, our beacon light.

In this seminar, we unite as one,
Undergraduate scholars want to be, Journey begun,
With each question, each reply,
We carve our path, reaching for the sky.

Padang, July 2018

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*Originally featured in Leni Marlina's private poem collection in July 2018, revised in July 2023 before its publication on digital media.

**Leni Marlina, a dedicated lecturer at the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang since 2006, is the founder and head of the World Children's Literature Community (WCLC). An active member of the Satu Pena West essSumatra Writers Association since 2022, she has also been involved with Victoria Writers in Australia since 2012.