International Student Spotlight: Tri Rudiyanto
Tri Rudiyanto is an international student from Indonesia, currently studying in the Master of International Business (MIB) program at UF.
Q: What is your background?
Rudiyanto: “I’m an international student from Semarang, the capital city of Central Java province. Currently, I am pursuing my Master of International Business degree. In my free time, I love singing and hiking. I’ve been to some national parks, but my favorite one is Sequoia in California.”
Q: Tell us about your home country.
Rudiyanto: “Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, with a total number of 17,508 islands. I am from Java Island, which holds 56% of Indonesian population, even though it is not the biggest island. In terms of weather, Indonesia is like Florida: hot and humid, especially in the summer.”
Q: What was the most difficult part of your journey to where you are today?
Rudiyanto: “I am the first college generation in my family, so I never thought I would be where I am today. Luckily, our government is very generous when it comes to education. I came here with their Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan scholarship program, though I had to work hard and compete with other brilliant Indonesian students to get it.”
Q: What do you miss about your home country?
Rudiyanto: “I do miss eating local food. In Indonesia, it’s very common to find food trucks crossing by our houses and we stop them to buy food. Indonesian food is rich in flavor and extremely spicy. You must try Rendang if you have a chance to visit the country!”
Q: Why did you decide to come to the University of Florida? What is your favorite thing about being here?
Rudiyanto: “UF is among the top public universities in America. Also, its MIB program is like no other. It lets me combine different business subjects that match my desire. Being part of the Hough Graduate Ambassadors program is the best thing that has ever happened to me because I can improve my communication and leadership skills.”
Q: What additional languages do you speak? Have you visited any other countries?
Rudiyanto: “My native languages are Javanese and Indonesian, but I also speak a little Japanese. I’ve been blessed to travel to some Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Colombia, which I just visited this summer!”
Q: Tell us a cool fact about yourself.
Rudiyanto: “I am the first Indonesian student at the Warrington College of Business. Also, a few years ago, I coincidentally bought a T-shirt that said ‘Florida,’ and now here I am! #GoGators!”
