Meet Indira Pranabudi, our new student blogger! Indira is from Indonesia and is currently studying computer science at Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington. She will be sharing some of her experiences as an international student studying in the USA. And whatever you do, don't tell her computer science is just for guys or a certain personality type—she's breaking that stereotype! I'll let her introduce herself ... My name is Indira Pranabudi and I am a 17-year-old Indonesian currently studying at Green River Community College.

In comparison to the average teenager, I have had quite a nomadic childhood, having lived in four different countries over the span of seventeen years. Not that I didn’t like it. In fact, I think my experience living abroad has helped shape me into the individual that I am today. Moving around every couple of years or so has, at times, been exhausting—having to adapt to one culture after another. But looking at the bright side, I absolutely feel appreciative and fortunate to have experienced living in several countries. Not everybody can say that they’ve lived in four different countries.

My experience has made my life completely unique and it helps distinguish me from the rest. I was born in Indonesia before my family moved to the United Kingdom in 2001. We had a very memorable two years in Manchester before returning back to our home country. At the age of 14, I moved to Singapore to pursue my education, and straight after obtaining a GCE ‘O’ Level certificate, I moved to the United States. I look at myself as a quiet, but hard working individual. 

I’m one of those people who would surprise you ... like a scorpion; they’re quiet and small, but deadly. Or, maybe that’s not a proper analogy but I think you get what I’m talking about. The same goes for my decision to study Computer Science.

No one expects me—of all people—to be the type of person to sit in front of a computer all day, writing codes. Whenever I express my desire to study Computer Science, their response is always either, “Oh really? I didn’t think you were interested in that!” or “What? Are you serious? I seriously don’t believe you!” A friend of mine even said, “I still don’t believe you want to study Computer Science. I think you’re more community-minded.”

Sometimes, it bothers when I receive these types of responses, but now I realize that that might be what’s so special about me. There are two sides to myself, so I can be the bridge between technology and the people.

I moved to the United States at the end of December 2011, and if I had to describe my first year in the U.S. in one word, it would be “awesome.”

I have met tons of new friends and awesome professors, and I have also learnt so much about a whole new culture. I can safely say that Green River has been a great stepping-stone for me and that without doubt, I have made the right choice in coming here to continue my education.