M.A International Relations
Boren Awardee to Indonesia
Global Learning Capstone
I am immensely grateful to be awarded the David L. Boren Indonesian Flagship Language Initiative scholarship funded by the U.S. Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO) to learn Bahasa Indonesia for the 2023-2024 year! Thus, I am proud to present this fellowship as my capstone.
I studied Bahasa Indonesia for over 500 hours from June to February through the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the State University of Malang, and the University of Gadjah Mada followed by an internship with an education organization in Bali, Indonesia
Why did you choose to study Indonesian?
Since 2016, I have been involved with Education Rocks, an organization that supports students in Indonesia, Guatemala, and India in accessing education. Over the past eight years, I have sponsored three students in Bali, helping them cover school fees and building meaningful connections with them through letter exchanges.
In 2019, I had the opportunity to meet one of my sponsored students, Maha, and her family in Bali, Indonesia. This experience solidified my commitment to being a global agent of change. Meeting Maha after two years of correspondence was unforgettable, but the language barrier limited our ability to connect deeply. This realization, along with my growing appreciation for Balinese and Indonesian culture, inspired my passion for learning Indonesian and other languages.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Intensive
During the domestic portion of the program, I studied for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week with additional extracurriculars. I would have never thought my language skills would advance so rapidly! I went from Duolingo Indonesian to an intermediate level in two months! UWM was truly amazing and has some of the best language instructors I've learned from!
Program Highlights
New Sisters
I had two language partners, Ratna and Isrina, who greatly helped me improve my language skills. We met twice a week, and over time, they became some of my closest friends. I still keep in touch with them to this day. The best part of this program is the lasting connections you build and the new family you gain.
Joined a Singing Competition
I can't sing at all, but participating in an East Java singing competition for international students—performing Indonesian songs while dressed in full traditional attire—truly highlighted how much I’ve grown since the start of the program.
Trips to Remote Areas
A former fellow and I took a trip to a town called Bandar Lampung in South Sumatra. It is a rural area that rarely sees any foreigners thus, we did not encounter any English speakers but it turned out to be one of the most memorable trips because of this fully immersive experience.
A Second Family
Living with a host family was both challenging and incredibly rewarding, as I had to adapt to some cultural differences. However, the experience allowed me to deeply immerse myself in Indonesian and Javanese cultures, learn about Islam, and enjoy traditional cuisines. In return, I was surrounded by the kindness of my host family, who took such great care of me. It was a truly enriching experience that highlighted the joys of cross-cultural exchange and communication.
The Boren Award was a multifaceted and transformational program that significantly contributed to my personal and academic growth. It embodies all the qualities represented by the Global Learning Medallion: resilience, adaptability, curiosity, a desire to connect with the world, global awareness, and cross-cultural engagement and communication.
Final Project
Our final projects marked the end of the fall semester and I presented my research on linguistic diversity in Indonesia and its impact on nationalism. I was able to conduct surveys among Indonesians from different parts of the country so I loved getting to interact with different people, on a topic that I loved.