Yogyakarta, July 2025 — The Community Service Team from the Faculty of Psychology of Mercu Buana University Yogyakarta (UMBY), in collaboration with the Reksadriya Psychology Team of the Gondokusuman GKJ, held a community service activity entitled "Mapping Interest and Talent Tests and Career Counseling for GKJ Gondokusuman Congregations on the Path to Higher Education."
This activity was implemented in two stages: an Interest and Talent Test on June 28, 2025, and a Mini Seminar and Career Counseling on July 11, 2025, at the Gondokusuman GKJ in Yogyakarta.

This program aims to help young people in the Gondokusuman GKJ congregation, particularly those in junior high and high school, better understand their potential, interests, and talents. Twenty-four participants enthusiastically participated in this series of activities. According to Dewi Soerna Anggraeni, M.Psi., Psychologist, the head of the implementing team, this activity is expected to provide a platform for young people to recognize their potential and receive relevant career guidance.

The series of activities began with an Aptitude Test, which aimed to map individual potential through psychological instruments. According to Retno Wijayanti (Reksadriya Psychology Team of GKJ Gondokusuman), this was the first time an aptitude test was being conducted for teenagers within the GKJ Gondokusuman community. Retno welcomed the event, recognizing the importance of aptitude mapping in preparing for higher education. All participants enthusiastically completed the aptitude test.

The test results were then discussed further in a Mini Seminar and Career Counseling session. In the mini seminar, Endro Kristanto from the Reksadriya Psychology Team of GKJ Gondokusuman emphasized the importance of identifying aptitudes and planning studies that align with those interests and talents. The session continued with the presentation of the results in the form of a psychological report of the aptitude test, complete with recommendations for educational majors based on the participants' profiles by the Community Service Team. Based on feedback from the participants, they felt more confident in choosing their majors and had a better understanding of their potential and aspects that needed to be developed. Positive feedback was also provided by parents who accompanied the participants in the career counseling process. Parents felt they benefited from this service, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the psychological aspects that support their children in achieving their goals at a higher level of education.

In addition to the immediate benefits for participants, this activity also opens up opportunities for long-term follow-up, including training for the GKJ Gondokusuman Reksadriya Psychology Team to enable them to carry out similar activities independently, and the development of a simple module to educate parents in assisting their children in planning their future careers. Through the synergy between the Faculty of Psychology at UMBY and GKJ Gondokusuman, this activity is expected to be the first step in establishing a sustainable career mentoring model within the church and congregation.