Ken Ayu Miranthy: YES Program Opens Eyes to Volunteering, YES Program Alumni 2007-2008

Ken Ayu Miranthy

Celebrating Christmas with her host parents

For an 18-year old, Ayumi has tirelessly volunteered for her community. While being a volunteer is not common aspect of the Indonesian lifestyle, Ayumi has a different perspective. Upon her return from the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program in the United States in 2007, she took on a number of volunteer activities.
America’s culture of volunteerism opened her eyes to similar activities in Indonesia. As a student of Dentistry at the University of Indonesia, Ayumi still finds time to be actively involved in various social activities, including promoting student exchange programs to high school students in Jakarta.
 
She is Coordinator for Student Exchanges Registration and Promotion for the Bina Antarbudaya Foundation. Under her leadership, the number of students registering for exchange programs reached over 7000 students applying for the 2010-2011 YES program the highest number ever. Ayumi’s success story does not end there, as she is also actively involved in giving free school lessons to underprivileged children in Jakarta.
 
What kind of experiences did you have in America that changed the way that you see America?

I think almost all of the activities which I participated in had some sort of influence on my perception towards America, especially its people. One thing that I will never forget is when a good friend of mine invited me to a Jewish ceremony. I learned that Jewish families celebrate religious ceremonies in a similar manner to Muslim families. In fact, the whole family warmly embraced me and treated me like one of them. When dinner came, everyone in the family sat together and prayed, but we each prayed in our own way to reflect our respective beliefs. I asked for a moment to pray and they kindly provided a decent room for me to perform my prayers. This shows how Americans have the utmost tolerance and respect for other religions.
 
What experiences did you have during your YES program in America that changed your perspective on your daily life?

A year of living with my host parents and their three children who already have families of their own was an interesting experience.  Having host parents who are older than my own parents back home has changed the way I look at things. In America, I learned how to do everything independently, by not depending on others.  I had to make my own decisions and accept the consequences of my own actions.

What was the most interesting part of the YES program?

During my tour at the University of Minnesota, my class was given the opportunity to observe a bypass surgery, an appendix operation with a new technique, and a surgery on cat.

What were the lessons-learned from the YES program that you can apply to your life now?

I learned how to maximize the 24-hour day and be productive in my personal life, but also do things that improve the environment and community around me.  During the YES program, I’ve seen many American teenagers of my age achieve in their academic life, as well as maintain an active schedule of social activities and community service activities.  Some of them also work part-time jobs to earn money and learn about the value of responsibility, and find time to relax with family and friends, just like typical Indonesian teenagers.   The other thing I learned about is that Americans tend to have a high level of concern for their community’s health and safety.

What is your expectation for the YES program in the future?

I hope the United States government continues to support the YES program and continues sending the best Indonesian students to the U.S. each year.  The YES program provides tremendous benefits for Indonesian students. Apart from that, I would like the YES program to expand throughout Indonesia, so that everyone will have a chance to benefit from the experience of studying in a U.S. high school and living with an American family for one academic year.

Join your Global Alumni Community at alumni.state.gov. For more information, please contact Alumni Coordinator (Mr. Dudi I. Sukendar) at (62-21) 3435-9536 or email SukendarDI@state.gov.