Written by Annie Wang.

Tell us about yourself.

I went to Canisius high school in Jakarta, Indonesia where I studied natural sciences. I loved growing up in Indonesia – the people and the surroundings continue to become a huge part of my life. It’s a tight-knit community where we were brought up to help each other out – whether that be school, work or family. Also, the food is amazing! My mom visits me a lot and all I ask her to bring me from Indonesia is food. Indonesian street food is the best but after coming back from the States and used to eating clean food, I usually get terrible diarrhea from the street food. My favorite street food is Gulai Kambing (Goat meat).

How did you feel when you got into Haas?

I was so happy, I found out that tears of joy actually exist. There were plenty of Indonesians at Diablo Valley College and I had a lot of friends who applied together. My friends and I were watching Avengers on the first day results came out, and when they did all my friends started opening their applications. At first, I wanted to resist because some of them didn’t necessarily receive great news, but I was getting really nervous. I was also really sad because my best friend didn’t get in. I tried to ignore my thoughts and continue watching the movie, but 5 minutes into the movie, I realized I wasn’t paying attention. So I brought my laptop outside the movie theater and I sat there waiting for the website to load while hoping for the confetti. As soon as I found out, I went outside and immediately called my mom. My mom cried seconds after. It was one of the best moments of my life. It was a moment I will never forget because I was able to make my mom feel so happy and proud of me.

Side note – I love soccer or football as we call it in Indonesia. I am a huge ARSENAL fan. I also broke my fibula once during a football competition. I am not that good, but I love playing football. If I were good, I would probably be a professional football player. But, I just love it.

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