ACYPL YSEALI Experience!

My ACYPL YSEALI Professional Fellows Program Experience – Spring 2019

I will talk about my YSEALI ACYPL Professional Fellows Program Spring 2019 experience in this post. I hope this helps someone who is aiming for the program.

Check these links for more information about the program and my experiences:

ACYPL - Application Process

📅 Application Submission Date: October 22, 2018

The application included short essays about my plans during and after the program. Since it was months ago, I couldn’t remember exactly what I had submitted—just vague ideas. (I later asked the program officer for a copy of my application, in case anyone is interested in studying it for their own ACYPL fellowship preparation. Let me know if you need it!)

📸 YSEALI Fellows 2019

ACYPL - Interview Process

📅 Semifinalist Announcement: January 17, 2019
📅 Interview Dates: January 28-30, 2019

I received an email from Ms. ND, the ACYPL Program Officer, inviting me for a Skype interview. The interview was based on my application, so I had to make guesses based on what I remembered.

Since it was conducted in English, I felt a bit nervous, and given the time difference between the US and Indonesia, the interview took place in the evening for me (early morning in the US).

To my surprise, it went okay! Some minor difficulties on my part (mostly my broken English and nervousness), but overall, I managed.

ACYPL - Selection Result

📅 Final Selection Announcement: February 16, 2019

🎉 I was thrilled to be selected, along with two other Indonesians (Ms. HF and Mr. Ic).

📸 US Ambassador, US Embassy Officers, USINDO Representatives, and YSEALI Fellows

US Embassy - J1 Visa Process

📅 Visa Interview Date: March 18, 2019

After being selected, we started preparing for the J1 Visa application. The process went smoothly thanks to ACYPL and USINDO, especially Ms. IE (USINDO), Ms. IR, and Ms. DV (US Embassy), who were incredibly helpful.

Visa Interview Process

  • ACYPL arranged flights and accommodation from Pontianak to Jakarta.
  • Before the interview, we had a briefing session to go over what we needed to prepare.
  • The interview itself was simple, mostly about identification and the purpose of our visit.

📸 US Visa Approved

After approval, the document needed some time to be processed. Ms. HF helped retrieve my Visa, as she had a trip to Jakarta before our departure.

YSEALI Professional Fellows Program Themes

There are several YSEALI Pro Fellows Program themes:

  • Civic Engagement (University of Montana)
  • Economic Empowerment (American Council)
  • Governance & Society (ACYPL)
  • Sustainable Development & Environment (ICMA)

🔗 Read more: YSEALI Professional Fellows Program

📸 US Embassy Officers, USINDO Representatives, and YSEALI Fellows

ACYPL vs. YSEALI

  • YSEALI covers Southeast Asia as a regional initiative.
  • ACYPL is theme-specific, focusing on Governance & Society.
  • Since Ms. HF and I were in the Governance & Society theme and from Southeast Asia, we were ACYPL YSEALI 2019 Fellows.

ACYPL Pre-Departure Orientation

📅 Orientation Date: April 11, 2019

We had a Skype meeting with Mr. PD (ACYPL Program Officer) and other fellows. Ms. KB and Mr. PD provided details about our schedules, placements, and preparations.

💡 I was lucky to have a good internet connection, so I could follow the conversation well—though I still struggled with some parts due to my listening skills.

ACYPL Delegates from Southeast Asia

There were 24 delegates from across Southeast Asia:

  • 🇧🇳 Brunei: 2
  • 🇰🇭 Cambodia: 2
  • 🇮🇩 Indonesia: 3
  • 🇱🇦 Laos: 1
  • 🇲🇾 Malaysia: 3
  • 🇲🇲 Myanmar: 2
  • 🇵🇭 Philippines: 3
  • 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste: 1
  • 🇹🇭 Thailand: 2
  • 🇸🇬 Singapore: 2
  • 🇻🇳 Vietnam: 3

ACYPL YSEALI 2019 - Departure to the US

📅 Flight Date: April 19, 2019

I met Ms. HF and Mr. Ic at the airport. It was my first time meeting Mr. Ic, as his Visa interview was in Surabaya. He turned out to be part of my ACYPL Iowa Team—you can read about it here:
➡️ Des Moines: Never Heard It Before

We transited in Dubai, where we met with Filipino and Thai fellows.

📸 Filipino & Indonesian Fellows in Dubai

Final Thoughts

I am incredibly grateful for the support from ACYPL and USINDO.

💡 This was my first time in America and truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience—learning about American politics, governance, and culture.

ACYPL also provides a follow-up program where my host visits Indonesia to help with my planned project. I will write about this in another post! 🇺🇸✈️

✍️ Written by Wendy