A Journey to the Country of Uncle Sam!

“I knew the USA, one of the superpowers of the world, country of pop culture and much more. But what did I know about their politics? Almost next to nothing.”

I was told about the ACYPL program by one of our interns, Maya. She asked me for a letter of recommendation in English, knowing that I was one of the few people in our office fluent in the language.

She was applying for the ACYPL academic fellows program and informed me about the ACYPL professional fellows program.

Application Process

Why not? Long story short, I applied without knowing much about American politics (ACYPL stands for American Council of Young Political Leaders, hence the “politics” part).

✔️ Application submitted
✔️ Interview passed
✔️ Suddenly, I was in!

(Send me a message if you need details about the application process—I’d be more than happy to help!)

What amazed me the most was how they handled everything—tickets, visas, accommodation, etc. I literally just had to pack my things and be ready to go.

The Program

The program lasted six weeks (April 20 – May 31, 2019), covering everything from my departure from Indonesia to my return.

Orientation in Washington, D.C.

The first week was orientation in Washington, D.C. It was packed with meetings with politicians, professionals, law enforcers, and government officials.

I learned a lot about American politics, government, and law—particularly the concept of “trias politica” (separation of powers).

We also had the chance to visit iconic places like:
✅ The U.S. Capitol
✅ Abraham Lincoln Monument
✅ The U.S. Supreme Court

The Placement

We were placed in different states across the U.S. I was assigned to Des Moines, Iowa, along with Ichan, Azlina, Do, and Keij.

First dinner in Des Moines with Aunt Ashley 😊

Each of us was placed in different offices. I was assigned to the IT Department of Des Moines, hosted by Anna Whipple, CIO of the City of Des Moines.

First day in the office!

Memorable Moments in Des Moines, Iowa

Some highlights of my stay:

• Golden Iowa Capitol
• Baseball Field
• Our First Baseball Game
• Volunteering at Hope Ministries
• Hope Ministries
• Biking With Do
• Trip to Dubuque with The Whipple Family
• Dinner With The Whipple Family
• CelebrASIAN Festival with Pillar, Ken, Justin, and Cowwie.
• Joe Biden, Former Vice President of the USA
• Mayor Cownie
• Justice Christopher MacDonald
• Governor Kim

📸 Pictures describe a thousand words. Precious moments in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Professional Congress

In the final week, we attended the Professional Congress, where I met fellows from around the world.

We shared an amazing experience as YSEALI fellows:

• 125 YSEALI Asia Pacific Fellows
• YSEALI Colorful Indonesia
• ACYPL Dinner
• With Dr. Deidre Combs

For more information about the program, check out:
📌 ACYPL
📌 YSEALI

✍️ Ditulis oleh Wendy