Alumni Impact: Indira Ardiyatna
Alumni Impact is a social media campaign that recognizes the excellent work being done by FIUTS alumni all around the world. This week, meet Indira!
Indira Ardiyatna, 2019 SUSI alumni and Industrial Engineering student at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia.
Hello! I am Putu Ayu Indira Ardiyatna, from Indonesia. I participated in the SUSI on Youth, Education, and Closing the Skills Gap in Summer 2019.
Building strong relationships with people from various countries during the program helped me realize that there are more similarities than differences between us. One of those similarities is the calling that we have inside of us to make this world a better place. This is the reason why, with their support, I launched the “Less Waste Lifestyle Workshop” once I got back from the SUSI program.
Indira (second from left) with her host family at the Summer Host Potluck.
Indira (right) with her SUSI Ambassador.
Since issues of plastic wastes continue to rise, I decided to play my part in saving the Earth and inspire young people in my community to do the same. The “Less Waste Lifestyle Workshop” was for youth who are interested in reducing the amount of waste they create in their daily lives but they don’t know where to begin. During the workshop, young people participated in an active discussion on why we should start reducing our waste. We discussed the motivation to initiate these changes in our life. Participants also experienced a simulation of how we can reduce unnecessary wastes. The project empowered them to do this and initiated a chain reaction where they can inspire others in their communities.
While I don’t expect that we can eliminate waste from our lives instantly or completely, I believe the change will happen if many people begin. During the SUSI program, I learned that the youth have the power to bring great change. Therefore, with that spirit in mind, I hope that I can inspire more youth to work together to bring a better tomorrow.
Indira (center) with Manager of Education Programs, Ellen Frierson (left) and Education Programs Coordinator, Kailyn Swarthout (right) at the Final Dinner.
The Study of the U.S. Institutes promote a better understanding of the people, institutions, and culture of the United States among international students, teachers, and scholars. Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSIs) are short-term academic programs for groups of undergraduate leaders, educators, and scholars from around the world. Hosted by academic institutions throughout the United States, these 5- to 6-week Institutes include an intensive academic residency and an integrated educational study tour. Extracurricular cultural and community activities help to broaden the participants’ understanding of U.S. society. See more here.
Guest posts on the FIUTS blog represent the experiences and views of individual writers. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FIUTS or any organizations or institutions affiliated with our programs.
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Interested in being featured in Alumni Impact? Contact Annie Lewis at annie@fiuts.org.