“I used to think I had to change who I was to fit in. But I’ve learned that embracing my culture while growing in a new one is actually my strength.”
— Nia, Indonesia
When Nia left Jakarta to study biomedical engineering in the U.S., she thought she was prepared. She had researched her university, packed her warmest clothes, and practiced English for months. But nothing could prepare her for how different life would actually feel.
“The first time it snowed, I just stared out the window for hours. I’d never seen snow in real life,” she said. That same day, she got lost on campus because she couldn’t understand someone’s directions. “I felt so small, like I didn’t belong.”
Nia struggled during her first semester. The classes were tough, but what felt harder was the silence—coming home to a dorm where no one spoke her language, missing her family’s cooking, and feeling like she had to explain her whole identity to every new person she met.
Things started to shift when she joined the international student club on campus. Through events, food nights, and small talk that turned into deep conversations, she started feeling seen. “I performed a traditional dance at International Night and I remember thinking—wow, this is me. I’m not just surviving here; I’m sharing who I am.”
That moment changed her. She started embracing her Indonesian identity instead of toning it down. She brought Indonesian snacks to club meetings, taught her roommates how to say simple Bahasa words, and found comfort in video calling her grandma while making sambal in her dorm kitchen.
Now in her third year, Nia helps mentor new international students. “If I could go back and tell my first-semester self anything,” she says, “I’d say: You’re not behind. You’re just on your own timeline. And you’re allowed to take up space.”