The Spark

“Be the channel of blessing ”

said the woman I greatly admire, none other than my mother.

“Make yourself useful! ”

said my grandmother, the woman I spent my growing up years with.

Back in my youthful days, I could not comprehend what it meant. I lived my days just like any other young woman who was looking to put her dent in this universe. Big dreams, but struggled to understand what the world means… let alone how it works.

Prior to my higher education, my personal choice was to study Early Childhood Education, because I see teachers’ blood running in the family. My grandmother was a kindergarten teacher, my grandfather taught in an all boys elementary school inside the royal compound in Solo, my uncle was an English language lecturer in a university in Solo and my mother who is now in her 80s still teaches demography in University of Indonesia.

Top left: my grandmother, the way I see her until now. Bottom left: my mother in her professor gown. Bottom right: my grandfather in his teaching uniform. Top right: my grandfather with his pupils. Center: my grandmother with her pupils.

However, my dear brother rejected my idea by saying, “How are you going to make a living by being a teacher in this country?!”

I applied anyway, and got accepted into one of the universities in Australia for Early Childhood Education. But my fate was determined otherwise. My mother wanted me to study economics, which… was not my forte at any point in my life. (sigh..) My brother wanted me to study… well… anything other than education, and my father surrendered his voice to the both of them.

So off I went on to learn economics at Macquarie University in Sydney and life goes on with me struggling to pass economics subjects one after the other. Microeconomics 101, 201, 301, Macroeconomics 101, 201, 301, Public Sector Economics, Econometrics and so on and so forthnomics there were available to learn, until one day I had an excellent Econ 309 Professor who was very patient in explaining the basic concepts of economics that works for my brain. I repeat, for my brain!

My best economics assignment of all time.

Although unfortunately I met the Professor at the later stage of my study, I am still grateful that he was there to teach me, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to achieve my bachelor’s degree. With his guidance, not only my understanding improved, my grades also improved, but my interest to learn more about economics grew, until I even applied to pursue an M.Phil degree in History of Economics. But, my GPA was too late to improve, so I continued my study based on my other interest when studying Consumer Behavior with Professor Craig MacMillan. I grew my curiosity in understanding people and decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Marketing Communications at another university in another city.

Throughout my master’s study, from time to time I visited Sydney because I still have a lot of friends there. I also made time to drop by at the Professor’s office for a conversation or two, and years decades went by and we still keep in contact until one day he was captured and locked in as a political prisoner in Insein Prison in Myanmar for something he didn’t do.

During that time, I kept praying for his release day after day. I kept looking for the news and with help from my friends who were still in Australia, I got local news feeds, especially on the paid articles inaccessible to me. At times I had discussions with a good friend when there’s no news, and she wisely said that it could be a good thing when there’s no news. “I believe our embassy is working very hard to bring him back”, she said.

Every work I did since his imprisonment was dedicated to him, as a tribute and respect to the person who has helped me get through university. My best work during this time was when I stood in front of 200 children who were doing innovation projects for adolescent problems, commissioned by UNICEF.

In my element… teaching, children and innovation. The UNICEF project.

It was also the time where I had a chance to facilitate a creativity module for an international program with a Switzerland organization that aims to produce young changemakers in 12 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America as well as some parts of European countries. This year marks my 4th year of involvement in the program.

Being a co-facilitator in this Young Changemaker program restored my faith where with this kind of young generation, the world will be in good hands. Through this program, the universe introduced me to a brilliant young lady who lives in the community where I will spend my post urban and office career days. She has become a good friend, and a very teachable mentee. She has that spirit and rare quality I seldom found in the (mislabeled) Gen Z.

Coming from a suburban area in Yogyakarta with no role model to push her motivation to the roof, she is a gem in the making. I told her that I am beyond proud and happy to have found her, and as with any of my mentee, I stated my purpose to help them throughout their journey, whether it is only during an innovation competition or for other purposes. “I am here when you need me. My doors are always open. If you are willing to do the work, any target you set will be achievable. If I can’t guide you, I will find somebody who can. Your window of opportunity is open wide and I believe that you can do it.” Gosh…. I feel like a coach!

Little did I realize, being a mentor brings back the memory where my professor said this to me, back in 2003, the year I left Australia for good. I clearly remember he said, “You could be like Megawati!” The incumbent President of the Republic of Indonesia. I said, “No way sir… that’s way too high up!“

However, that moment is deeply implanted under my subconscious and resonates until now. That moment encouraged me to pursue my exploration in teaching and being a mentor for the younger generation, that is not confined inside any walls.

Recently, the girl I met through the Young Changemaker program has now been accepted at University of Edinburgh, studying for a Master’s degree in education, on a state scholarship that is known to be hard to get.

When she thanked me, I said, “I believed in you, because someone believed in me first”. That someone has fueled me with a message of over 20 years old that I shall “Sound the clarion and fill the fife” which now has transformed to my own guiding principle in life, “May I be of use for the greater good “.

Upon my return, I asked almost everyone to write a message for me, including Sean. This message resonates very well until now.

Thank you Sean for igniting my curiosity to understand how the world works. May the world be kind to you and may you be blessed with health and happiness. May I be the channel to ignite many more curiosity and chances for young people to prosper, empower themselves and be of use for the greater good.

This writing was finished at 30k feet above Riau, enroute to Singapore in the morning of March 9, 2024.

Dedicated to Professor Sean Turnell, a.k.a. The Professor.
Dr. Ha Vu and Phuong, Sean’s wife and daughter who – through Sean’s book, The Unlikely Prisoner, taught me perseverance in faith, hope and love.
Gita Sugiyanto, Dr. Ariane Utomo, Professor Terence H Hull, and Graydon Smith – a.k.a. The good friends.
Professor Craig MacMillan who kept my curiosity to learn about humans.
Yessi, a.k.a. The girl.
Puspita, my partner to mentor Yessi. It’s our turn to continue our dream , girl!
Daniel Glinz for creating the Young Changemaker program that let the universe state my purpose of being in life.
And my dear husband who let me pursue my borderless dream. God has made us to complete each other with our little similarities and our big differences. God has never made a wrong decision when He arranged us.