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| Ikrimatus Sa’diah, a student majoring in Food Technology Science at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) (Photo: Special) |
She is Ikrimatus Sa'diah, a student majoring in Food Technology Science at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) who successfully passed through the student exchange program to the United States (US) through the Global Undergraduate Exchange (Global Ugrad). She will study in Uncle Sam's country for one semester at the expense of the US government, precisely at Missouri State University.
Her journey was certainly not as smooth as many people imagined. Ikri, as he is called, has yet to qualify for scholarships many times. She has also composed essays many times to realize her dream. "Finally, I applied for Ugrad and Alhamdulillah, I passed. I feel delighted because my efforts have paid off," she said.
One of the exciting things about this scholarship is that Ikri is required to participate in volunteer activities. During his few weeks there, Ikri has been looking for activities that match his passion. There are two activities that she intends to do, which are in the aspect of community service as well as being a tour guide while studying there.
"We are required to do volunteer activities this semester. At least 20 hours in our field of interest. Aside from the report requirement, volunteering is also an interesting thing and provides new insights for me. Moreover, the implementation is in a foreign country," she said.
Even so, she felt a moment of struggle when she first landed in the US. Especially when it came to communicating with residents and students. Unlike Indonesian students, they are more individualistic and seem closed to international students. It made her more likely to chat with fellow international students.
"It's because we are in the same boat, so we can relate and learn together. But, I also keep interacting with local students, hopefully, there will be interesting innovations that we can do together," she explained.
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However, the girl from Jakarta appreciates the local students. Although they are individualistic, they are very punctual. They even arrive much earlier before class. They also did not simply follow the crowd in choosing courses. Everything is selected because of the needs of each individual.
Her success is also inseparable from UMM's support. There are various international classes, student activity units focusing on English, and UMM's American Corner (Amcor). Specifically for the last one, Amcor provides many facilities, connections, and scholarship information.
Finally, upon her return from the US, Ikri is determined to create a discussion platform to help young Indonesians achieve their dreams. Primarily to gain knowledge in various regions around the world. Thus, they can expand their knowledge and understand that many things still need to be learned.
"Coincidentally, there are already several friends who can be invited to collaborate to create this community. Hopefully it will be useful and able to provide a way for those who dream of studying in other countries," she concluded. (Put/Ri/Wil)
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