From Indonesia to LMU

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Adjusting to life on the bluff can be difficult for Loyola Marymount University’s 170 students from Indonesia, but as the largest population of international students at LMU, it’s just a part of helping their family and community back home.

In addition to the challenges of adapting to a new culture and studying in English, many Indonesian students face another hurdle. In the United States, Indonesians have to overcome a high level of expectations and unfamiliar classroom experience —  giving presentations and collaborating with other students.

In the Indonesian school system, little focus is placed on speaking in front of the class, according to Winston Gautama ’17, a senior marketing major.

Overcoming this barrier while speaking in a non-primary language can be difficult, says Gautama. Faculty play an important role in helping students overcome these barriers, as well as obtaining the hands-on education they are seeking.

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Winston Gautama ’17

As he nears graduation, Gautama says the greatest takeaway from his LMU experience is the valuable skills he will return to Indonesia with and apply to his family’s business.

“The professors have offered valuable insight into how business works,” he adds. “Their knowledge and the experience gained from internships will allow me to go back home and hopefully expand my father’s palm and coconut oil business.”

Like Gautama, the majority of Indonesians at LMU come to study in the College of Business Administration, and many are transfer students.

Indonesian families who send their students to LMU do so knowing the education they receive will strengthen their family companies and help them expand their businesses back home. It is not uncommon for relationships made at LMU to later become important business partnerships in Indonesia.

Gautama says knew he wanted to come to Los Angeles for college because he had family here to help him adapt to American culture, and chose LMU to follow in the footsteps of his cousin, who came to the bluff before him.

As president of the Indonesians at Loyola Marymount University (ILMU) club, Gautama adds that his goal is to bring Indonesian culture to campus.

“I want to offer a place for Indonesian students to connect and get to know each other to offer support during their transition to a new culture,” he says.

ILMU hosts a variety of activities to provide LMU’s Indonesian students with the opportunity to meet and foster the growth of their community. The club works with fellow Indonesian student organizations at colleges throughout California and the United States.

Each year, ILMU hosts the Lion’s Cup, a basketball tournament that brings other Indonesian student organizations to campus to compete against one another. The club also hosts an end-of-the-year graduation banquet to honor the success of Indonesian students and celebrate their achievements with their families. This year’s banquet is projected to be the largest yet, according to Gautama, with more than 700 guests currently expected to attend.

Once back home, Gautama says he intends to continue his life as a Lion by joining a growing number of active LMU alumni in Indonesia through events ranging from service days to networking receptions. The connection between LMU and Indonesia continues to strengthen, and to date, four LMU presidents have visited Jakarta. In April, President Timothy Law Snyder made his first visit to participate in the Global Day of Service with Indonesian alumni.

Learn more about LMU’s Office for International Students and Scholars.