A youth-led, non-profit organisation, AIYA seeks to improve the connections between young Australians and Indonesians as well as the opportunities that exist between Australia and Indonesia through cultural and language exchanges, professional programs, and more. AIYA has chapters active in Australian states and territories, and also in Indonesia, including one in Yogyakarta. At the national level, AIYA is governed by an executive committee of early-career professionals.
Bathari Sekar Dewangga, also known as Atha, an English Literature student, secured an internship as an educational events organizer at AIYA. Atha went through two stages of selection for this internship at AIYA. The first was application screening/review, and the second was an interview. Since AIYA is an international organization, in the interview, she had to position herself as a delegate/representative of her country and have a mindset to grow, learn, be tolerant, and understand others.
As an education event officer, Atha’s main task is to organize language exchange events, starting from brainstorming topic ideas and questions related to the chosen topic, compiling event rundowns, surveying places to hold events, becoming MCs and facilitators during the event, and being an intermediary between AIYA and outside parties who want to collaborate with Education AIYA. Not only that, but sometimes Atha also assists the socio-cultural division in running events.
She also served as a link between AIYA and the external parties. Moreover, being part of AIYA allowed her to see the world through different perspectives, appreciating cultural differences and learning to manage her schedule more effectively, especially while balancing academic commitments and preparing for her community service (KKN). At first, she only wanted to strengthen her English skills and make global connections during her internship with the organisation. But she ended up with more than she had needed. She became more proficient in communication, time management, and decision-making.
Meeting new people and learning about their cultures and languages at each event was both exciting and thrilling for her. Through collaboration, she gained experience in a professional environment and built her career path. “My participation in this organisation has increased my interest in pursuing an overseas job, getting a master’s degree, or establishing a career in Australia,” she shared.
