Among thousands of international students studying at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, Neal Coutsar, a fourth-cohort alumnus of Thursina International Islamic Boarding School (IIBS) Senior High School, has achieved an outstanding academic accomplishment.
A student of the Department of Da’wah and Islamic Culture at the Faculty of Usuluddin, Neal ranked eighth among the university’s top 10 students for the current academic year. He was also the only Indonesian student to secure a place on the list.
For Neal, the achievement is not the final destination, but the result of a long process built through consistency, discipline, and prayer. When his name was announced among the students with the highest academic scores, gratitude was the first thing he felt.
“Alhamdulillah, when the announcement was released and I saw my name among the top 10 academic scores this year, I felt deeply grateful for what Allah had given me. I believe this achievement is not only the result of my own effort, but also the prayers of my parents and teachers,” Neal shared.
His academic journey at Al-Azhar also involved a process of discovering the field that suited him best. During his early semesters, Neal began to identify the areas of study that truly matched his interests.
His interest first grew while studying Usul al-Da’wah and became even stronger when he attended Khitabah classes. From there, he decided to focus on Da’wah and Islamic Culture as the field where he could best develop his potential.
Behind his achievement is a simple study routine that requires strong commitment. Neal always begins preparing his materials well before examinations so that his workload does not build up at the end of the semester.
He carefully notes any explanations from lecturers that are not included in the textbooks and reviews the material again after each class. Discussions with friends also play an important role in strengthening his understanding and helping him view issues from different perspectives.
According to Neal, these habits had already been developed during his years as a student at Thursina IIBS. The many activities he experienced in boarding school taught him that success is not built through occasional effort, but through consistency maintained every day.
“Consistency and giving your best are the keys. When I was at Thursina, many activities required both, from memorising the Qur’an and doing murojaah to completing academic assignments. Those habits have helped me greatly during my studies at Al-Azhar,” he explained.
Beyond developing discipline, Neal believes that his experience at Thursina gave every student the opportunity to recognise and develop their own potential.
He felt that teachers did more than simply deliver lessons. They also gave students room to explore their interests, express their opinions, and take part in academic discussions.
“In my opinion, one of the strengths of education at Thursina is that teachers give students space to explore what they are interested in. We were also encouraged to discuss and express our opinions, which made the learning process more engaging and trained us to think critically,” he said.
Among the RECODING values developed at Thursina, Neal considers the Religious value to be the strongest foundation throughout his studies abroad.
For him, faith is the main foundation that helps a person remain firm amid changes in the world.
“Essentially, a Muslim must first strengthen the foundation of faith. Whatever profession or career we pursue in the future, faith should remain the basis of how we think and act. With that foundation, we will not easily be carried away by influences that go against Islamic values,” he explained.
Closing his story, Neal shared a message with Thursina students to never stop giving their best in every process they go through.
“Give your best in whatever you are working on. Evaluate every process, understand your potential as well as possible, and after making every effort, never forget to pray to Allah and ask for the prayers and blessings of your parents and teachers who have guided you,” he advised.
Neal Coutsar’s achievement shows that education at Thursina IIBS does more than help its alumni enter leading universities around the world. It also develops character, strong learning habits, and resilience that enable them to compete and excel in an international academic environment.
