Student Club Spotlight: Indonesian Student Association (PPIA)

Margaritha, Vice President of the Indonesian Student Association, shares how the association has had a positive impact on all aspects of her university experience.

We chatted with Margaritha who shared that being part of PPIA helped her create lasting memories and friends, new knowledge and skills and heard about club activity highlights!

What does it mean to be a member of PPIA, especially when you’re living away from home?

Being miles away from home is the most difficult part of being an international student in Melbourne.

With PPIA RMIT, I feel like I've found my second home here in Melbourne!

Participating in PPIA RMIT’s events and activities gave me a lot of memories and friends who I consider as my family. We work and have fun together on a variety of activities to share a sense of home to our Indonesian friends at RMIT. 

Being part of PPIA and around incredible people has led to wonderful experiences, and it has helped me cherish my time in university

Student standing smiling holding flowers

Margaritha Jesslyn at the PPIA Annual General Meeting

Why did you decide to join the Club?

I decided to join PPIA RMIT in order to expand my network and obtain additional experience.

Everything was online when I attended university in 2021, making it difficult for us to interact in person and form strong friendships. I was able to meet a lot of wonderful people and gain experience thanks to PPIA.

When I first joined PPIA, I decided to volunteer for the Multimedia division. Being able to create incredible art works with my team members was such a pleasure and I am now the Vice President of the club!

What are some of the highlights of Club life? What activities do you run?

We host numerous activities with the goal of strengthening relationships among our participants and introducing Melbourne to new students. MATENG, which stands for Selamat Dateng, is a gathering held at the beginning of each semester to welcome new students and inform them all about RMIT and Melbourne.

MAKRAB, short for Makin Akrab, was created to strengthen the relationships between our committee members. It is a 3-day, 2-night tour packed with exciting and engaging events. We also have an annual external charity event to raise funds for Indonesian non-profit organisations and a lot of new forthcoming events for 2023, so keep an eye on us!

Students at the MAKRAB tour

What/how has being a part of this club added to your university experience?

It's been an incredible opportunity; I’ve gained a lot of knowledge and abilities that I can apply to my studies. It’s provided me with the opportunity to refine my skills in the multimedia division, which will undoubtedly benefit me in the future.

What would you say to students thinking about joining PPIA or other student clubs/societies?

PPIA RMIT is a great place to meet new people and make connections with people who have similar backgrounds and interests to you. So, don’t hesitate to join us and our events!

More information

Find out more and join the Indonesian student association PPIA RMIT, via the PPIA RUSU landing page.

09 May 2023

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More information

Student Club Spotlight: Indonesian Student Association (PPIA)