Mentees 2021

Ari is a Project Management and Communications Officer at Social Responsibility Asia in Jakarta. His interest in project management and intercultural communication originated from his active involvement in the Australia-Indonesia space since 2017, when he was selected as an awardee of the Australia Field Study Program in Melbourne. Ari is passionate about language, education, and culture. He graduated with a Bachelor of Education for English Language from the Islamic University of Indonesia, specialising in Intercultural Communication, Translation, Interpreting and Sociolinguistics. He has interned and worked as a Co-Program Assistant at ACICIS in his early professional career. He has also been involved in implementing projects with international youth organisations, such as AIYA for Social Media Communications supported by the Australian Government and Australia-Indonesia Institute, YSEALI for U.LabX MOOC supported by US Mission to ASEAN, and AASYP for Spark E-learning supported by Australia-ASEAN Council.

Agnesia is a fresh graduate from the Faculty of Agriculture, Sam Ratulangi University, and is passionate about building a career in developing climate crisis and sustainability solutions. She is excited about being selected as a mentee of the PATHWAYS Mentorship Program; she thinks the program has paired her with the most magnificent mentor! She hopes the program will help her grow and gain valuable lessons from her mentor's experiences. Her motto is drawn from Napoleon Hill: limitation is only a mindset.

Alfinna Yebelanti is currently undertaking his final year of a Bachelor of Marine Science Studies at Padjadjaran University. She is a Founder and Chief Financial Officer at Narasea Indonesia, a startup that focuses on education about the ocean to improve awareness in local and global communities. Since 2020, Alfinna has worked in the International Office Rectorate and Faculty Voluntary Program as Social Media Manager and Vice General Manager repsectively; this was part of her dedication for her campus and an attempt to learn about organising international events between institutions and universities. 

During this time, Alfinna worked as a Junior Researcher Program Intern at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and gained experience in event management. Alfinna has a strong interest in research, policy and marine issues, and hopes to further strengthen Australia-Indonesia relations with a focus on marine sustainability, environmental policies and international development. She is passionate about seeing communities lead the way towards resilience, and about being part of greater collaboration between Australia and Indonesia as we seek to achieve mutual goals.

Annisa is a psychology graduate from the University of Indonesia. She has a keen interest in people and organisation management. Following this, she aspires to be a professional consultant who can help people and organisations reach their full potential and, in turn, advance the greater good of society. To hone her skills, she is actively involved in any human resource and consulting experience, such as becoming an intern in Accenture, Kompas Gramedia, Assegaf Hamzah & Partners, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Annisa hopes her professional and personal capacities can deliver a significant impact to her surroundings.

Callum is a postgraduate student studying Foreign Affairs and Indonesian Language, with a passion for education, diplomacy and sports. He currently works in primary education as an after school educator and teach English online to different groups of children overseas. He wants to become more involved in the Australia-Indonesia space and to bridge divides in the bilateral friendship through more comprehensive business, culture and educational links.

Celina obtained a Bachelor of Commerce and Architecture Design from the University of Melbourne in 2020. Throughout her studies, she was involved as a project architect and worked around multiple design studios in Australia. She was also involved in digital design and branding at various ecommerce retailers such as Bellabox, Alice McCall and Giant Bicycles, where she realised her passion lies in fashion ecommerce instead of architecture. Celina decided to be more involved in the fashion ecommerce space and competed in the 2020 UNI International Fashion Design Awards (IFDA), where she was shortlisted for her fashion pavilion design which aims to connect like-minded people and be a place for aspiring fashion designers to showcase their designs. Celina is now working at Australia’s largest luxury fashion ecommerce, Cettire, and hopes to build her career in the fashion ecommerce industry.

Claire is a fourth-year undergraduate student of Asian Studies and Medical Science at ANU. She has been studying Indonesian from a young age, and discovered her love for biology more recently. Since then, Claire has been passionate about combining knowledge gained from her two areas of study. She completed the ACICIS Public Health Study Tour in 2018, and was intrigued by Indonesia's innovative public health professionals and collaborative medical research with Australia. As a result, she now hopes to work either with, or in, Indonesia in the medical science field.

Having taken part in Indonesia-Australia exchange programs during high school, in-country Indonesian language courses, and now as an active member of AIYA, she has a keen interest in promoting cultural exchange and learning between the two countries. Her commitment to Australian multiculturalism is supported by her involvement in refugee mentoring programs. She recognises the importance of a positive relationship between Australia and Indonesia, and hopes to facilitate greater scientific engagement with Indonesia.

David is a final year Economics and Indonesian student at ANU. He is really excited to learn more about the relationship between Australia and Indonesia as well as meet people working in this space. While he was in Indonesia he developed a love of batik and es campur, and hopes to go back soon to experience them again!

Dinda is an education enthusiast from Banda Aceh. After completing her Bachelor degree in Teaching English as Second Language with a minor in Instructional Technology from International Islamic University Malaysia, she went back to Banda Aceh and taught English at an all-girl science stream secondary school for several years. At the moment, she is about to embark on a new journey as Indonesian country manager for Twinkl, an EdTech company which provides educational resources for teachers and parents.

Ellen currently works as an Actuarial Analyst in the financial industry. She completed postgraduate study in Actuarial Science at Macquarie University and is currently on track to become a fully qualified actuary. Passionate about communication and leadership, she has participated in Toastmasters, a US-headquartered non-profit educational organisation that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of promoting communication, public speaking and leadership. She received the designation of Competent Communicator in 2012, however has occasionally attended meetings as a visiting guest in recent years.

Education has a special place in her heart because she believes everyone should have an equal chance to succeed. Her family did not have much money growing up, however, her family's support for her further education and their sacrifice are a source of energy for Ellen in academic pursuits. She completed her undergraduate degree in Indonesia, a student exchange program in Japan, and a Master's degree in Australia with the help of generous scholarship grants. Later, she realised that a supportive family is a privilege, because not every family has the ability to put education first. 

Having now returned to Jakarta for good, she is more than happy to explore any opportunities in the bilateral relationship pertaining to finance, communication, leadership and education.

Engka is an Associate Market Analyst in Consulting Department at IDC Indonesia. As an analyst, he is responsible for conducting primary analysis and report writing in market research and business strategy, on research produced within the regional research group, including custom projects in Indonesia.

Prior to joining IDC, Engka was involved in a university think tank organisation, higher education and the consulting industry. During his college years, he was actively involved in various conferences and organisations, including serving as a President Chapter of Foreign Policy Community Indonesia at his university. In this, he continues to develop experiences and capabilities on cross-products and cross-industry analysis.

Engka holds a Bachelor degree in International Relations from Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta University.

Having graduated from a Bachelor of Engineering, Farras currently interns at an e-commerce company, which has allowed her to explore strategic ways of building relationships with affiliates and gaining the skills of effective campaign communication, creative thinking and problem solving. Besides working, she is passionate about contributing inclusive opportunities, especially among youth, and therefore has been actively involved in social organisations who share the same values as hers. Being able to build connections and to take action are things that she finds enjoyable. In her free time, she enjoys hunting for delicious foods and working out how to burn all the cookies she devoured. She believes that resilience, integrity and respect for others will lead to greater success, and she chose to join the PATHWAYS Mentoring Program to help her achieve her dreams.

Iqbal works for Telkom Indonesia, a state-owned telecommunication enterprise, as Big Data Analytics Officer (which is similar to a Junior Data Scientist at other companies). His main reponsibility is implementing data science and data analytics, mostly in projects related to sales and marketing, customer relationship management and risk management. Besides his professional responsibilities, he likes to share knowledge and experience in data science through writing (via Medium, ResearchGate, etc.) and speaking at public seminars, advising young data talent on how to work in the field of data.

Ismi is a learning facilitator who is passionate about education and social community. She obtained her Bachelor degree in English Education at Sriwijaya University, and became involved in volunteering by teaching local street children and doing charity events. In 2018, she won Visi Indonesia 2045, organised by Indonesia Diaspora Youth Network Global, and got the chance to participate in the Conference of Indonesian Diaspora Youth (CIDY), which broadened her understanding of educational and humanitarian issues.

Recently, Ismi created an online learning program named IDoSpeak, which helps youth in improving their English language capability. She is currently deepening her understanding of educational psychology and parenting by reading books and joining webinars. She loves educating kids and hopes to awaken youth's awareness of education. By joining AIYA, she wants to build connections, learn from multicultural friends and strengthen the Indonesia–Australia relationship.

Ivena is a psychology graduate from the University of Surabaya and an awardee of Djarum Beasiswa Plus 2019-2020. She has an immense passion for special needs children and has carried out relevant research and projects since the beginning of her undergraduate study. As the finalist of Initial Public Offering (IPO), her article about siblings' relationship dynamics with a Down syndrome child was chosen to be published by a journal publisher at a national level (SINTA 3). While pursuing her Bachelor degree, she was also a teaching assistant for an Exceptional Learners course, and she has also been an advisor, chief and teacher at a teaching community named Kelompok Kreativitas Anak (KRISNA). Moreover, in 2019, her research team was awarded runner-up at the Cross-Cultural Research, Collaboration and Exchange Program (CRCEP) at Hangzhou, China. Currently, she is widening her knowledge relating to special needs children via involvement in various trainings and webinars at both international and national levels.

Jesse is a Science and Global Studies undergraduate student at Monash University, majoring in Spanish and Ecology, alongside a Diploma of Languages in Indonesian. In 2019, he completed a five-month internship at the Music Archive of Monash University (MAMU), focusing on Sumatran musicology. That same year, he was selected to participate in the Australia Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) in East Java. During the two-month program, he worked on an environmental community development project in Sanankerto and completed a teaching assistant internship in Surabaya. Currently, he is volunteering for AIYA Victoria, the Australia Latam Emerging Leaders Dialogue and the Monash Student Association. Jesse is passionate about intercultural communication, environmental sustainability and international affairs. 

Jess studied Global Politics and Policy, and International Aid and Development at Murdoch University. During her studies she travelled to Indonesia twice through the New Colombo Plan, which ignited her interest in the Indo-Pacific region. Whilst in Indonesia she worked on sustainability initiatives like recycling plastics, and researched single-use plastic policies. She is now studying a Diploma of Community Services as she has a real passion for working with communities and helping those who are more vulnerable.

Katherine is studying a Bachelor of International Relations and a Diploma of Languages (Indonesian) at La Trobe University. Prior to this, Katherine volunteered at local organisations in Indonesia and Australia. Her volunteer experiences as well as time in Indonesia sparked her interest in the region and international development. Since then, Katherine has continued to maintain ties with Indonesia through university clubs such as the La Trobe Bahasa Indonesian Students Association (BISA). She has also become involved with organisations like ACICIS through the Virtual Indonesian Short Language course and the Campus Ambassador Program. Having joined AIYA Victoria as a member, she hopes to get more involved with the organisation. Katherine is inspired to work and travel across Indonesia and, more broadly, Southeast Asia.

Kevin is a tech enthusiast with a demonstrated history in computer science. He works with data, has an interest in hardware and software development, and is focused on business modelling.

Faris believes that we live in an interconnected human-animal-environment interface; hence, he aims to empower and educate the community to mitigate the risks of infectious diseases, particularly zoonoses, in East Lombok.

Leonard is a third-year student majoring in Electrical Engineering at the University of Indonesia. Leonard's passion is technological change as an enabler for the underprivileged, as well as in startups, renewable energy, the internet and strategic planning. Throughout his time in university he has delved into various organisations, communities and volunteering programs. Currently, Leonard is serving as Vice Head of Innovation Controller at Engineering Corporation FTUI. He has also served as a board member at TEDxUniversitasIndonesia and worked on a social project for one month in a rural area of Lampung with Gerakan UI Mengajar Batch 9. He is also an active member at IEEE and the Young SEAkers Indonesia.

Fanani completed his Bachelor degree at Gadjah Mada University, majoring in Food Technology. He recently started his career working at Foodbank of Indonesia, an NGO focusing on hunger and malnutrition in Indonesia and supporting UN SDGs Zero Hunger and Responsible Consumption. He has experience in community and business development projects during college. In his final year, he was awarded a scholarship to conduct academic research in Sweden for six months. As he also aspires to be a singer, he mostly spends his spare time making covers and use his talent to spread a good message through his voice on any social media platform. 

With his strong interest in making a positive impact on society, he is keen to learn from people from diverse backgrounds and across sectors to support him in becoming a global-minded leader.

Maxine has just completed her Geography thesis at the University of Sydney on the impact of COVID-19 on rural livelihoods in Indonesia. She was first introduced to Indonesia during an eight-month Geography Immersion Program at the University of Indonesia. During this time she became obsessed with climbing Indonesian volcanoes. Since returning to flat ground, Maxine has since had the opportunity to intern at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in Jakarta and has previously served as the President of AIYA NSW. Maxine is passionate about community development, especially with regards to improving child health and nutrition in Indonesia. Her next trip to Indonesia will involve crossing a few more volcanoes of her checklist!

Megawati considers herself a fast learner who can adapt to new challenges and environment. Currently, she is learnin how to be an efficient negotiator in the tourism industry to deliver legal instruments, procedures and value for international relations. She is highly passionatate about development studies, international relations, women's empowerment and sustainability.

Mokhammad is an experienced Law Specialist with a history of working in research, higher education and policy institution. He is a legal professional with a Bachelor degree in Law, focusing on Law and Government, from Gadjah Mada University and a Master's degree in International Law from the Australian National University.

Muhamad considers himself an open-minded and thoughtful person, and has an academic background in chemical engineering. Currently he works with an electrical power plant company as chemistry and environment employee. He is eager to learn a variety of knowledge across different fields, especially the clean and sustainable energy industry.

Argi works as a Program Development Manager at an Edutech company in Indonesia. He has found his life purpose as an educator. Argi comes from a village in a rural area where many people do not have a chance to pursue higher education, which has inspired him to work in education and make a positive impact on society.

Nicholas is a Commerce and Indonesian student at the University of Western Australia. He is passionate about economic development and modern slavery issues in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia.

Reno is a fresh graduate with a major interest in energy and environmental studies. Throughout college, he was actively involved in various organisations, especially in energy studies and self-development. He was appointed Head of Public Relations on the Student Energy Council, Gadjah Mada University, in his third year and as Secretary General for the same organisation before graduating. He also active as a practical work assistant for courses taught in his department beside becoming a member in communities like the American Association of Petroleum Geologist (AAPG). He joined AIYA's Jakarta Chapter as a member in early 2021 before applying for the PATHWAYS Mentoring Program.

Reno is passionate about learning more about renewable energy and solving common environmental issues in Indonesia. He believes Australia could be a great partner to help Indonesia foster the utilisation of green energy, raise awareness of environmental issues, and tackle the common challenge of climate change. With a receptive growth mindset, Reno is looking for new opportunities to reach his career aspiration and help to solve the problems in energy and environmental sectors.

Rika is currently self-learning the foundations of front-end development and UX design in preparation for a Bachelor of Information Technology at Griffith University starting in 2022. With over ten years of diverse work and volunteer experience in business, IT, multicultural and not-for-profit organisations, Rika strives for proactive evolution in her personal and professional development; she zealously pursues ways to further improve her skills and develop knowledge in her key interests. Rika has won numerous excellence awards in language competitions, academia, vocal competitions, art, media, sound and lighting and student council membership.

Rika nurtures a strong interest in languages and culture and can speak five languages, with varying degrees of proficiency, including English, Indonesian, Buginese, Japanese and Korean. Rika fosters a global perspective as a result of growing up in a cross-cultural and cross-language environment; since she was ten years old, she has interpreted and translated for over 64 international homestay students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, India, China and Vietnam.

Rohan is a music researcher, performer and teacher currently based in Wurundjeri Country (Melbourne, Australia). Within the field of ethnomusicology, Rohan specialises in the study of music from Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Indonesia. His research makes use of historical accounts, musical transcription and analysis and an array of fieldwork techniques. His current project is a study into the hybrid musical form Tanjidor Betawi, found in and around the outskirts of the Greater Jakarta region. As a performer, in addition to being an experienced Central Javanese and West Javanese (Degung) Gamelan musician, Rohan is well-versed in the Western Classical music tradition, within which he is an active tuba player. As an educator, Rohan freelances as a brass and piano teacher in the Greater Melbourne area.

Sam is in her final year of her degree majoring in Geography, Psychology and Indonesian studies. Her passion for understanding the intersection between people and their environment led her to participate in a New Columbo Scholarship-supported exchange at the University of Indonesia, where she completed both geography and language courses. Her exchange culminated with an internship at Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre, where her eyes were opened to the realities of international displacement and the importance of community connection, education and shared purpose in supporting wellbeing. This has sparked a passion for understanding the role of mental health and wellbeing within sustainability, international development and disaster recovery, and the important role that Australia and Indonesia play in Southeast Asia. 

Her passion for the environment, travel and intercultural connections was developed through her involvement with Scouts, where she has been a dedicated volunteer for over ten years. Sam joined AIYA in 2021, and is looking forward to the opportunity to become more involved over the coming years.

Seruni is a sustainable development goals enthusiast and a biology student at the University of Indonesia with three years of experience in creative teams, social media planning, negotiation and team management. Over the last four years, Seruni has been actively involved in English debating and Model United Nations conferences to enhance her interpersonal communication and analytical skills.

Sharmilla is a policy graduate seeking to build a career in the development sector. She has a deep interest in Indonesian culture and language and aspires to broaden her understanding of Indonesia and the relationship between gender and development. She is keen to learn from her mentor's experiences in her field of interest and gain unique insights into how she can achieve her career goals.

Verencya recently completed her Bachelor of Architecture from the Bandung Institute of Technology. Through her work, she hopes to make the world a better place by bridging the gap between technology and humanities. Throughout her college years, she was actively involved in various organisations and projects. She's currently an active volunteer at Nukeytalks, a career education initiative for Indonesian youth, while working as a freelance social media manager. Verencya's interests include social enterprises, education and design.

Yohana works as the Partnership & Engagement Associate at Angel Investment Network Indonesia (ANGIN). Her role helps to grow the ANGIN network by engaging with investors and impact ecosystems across the globe, from Europe to Asia and Australia.

Prior to joining ANGIN, she was a Campaign Manager at WeCare.id, a health-based fundraising startup, working to help patients who don't get equal access to healthcare. She graduated cum laude with a Communication Studies degree from the University of Indonesia, focusing on Media Studies.

Having a strong interest in the development sector and empowering women as agents of change, she is involved in Girl Up Jakarta by the United Nations Foundation as the Project Leader, leading a fundraising program to support education funds for young girls in East Indonesia.