Ep 7: US: Claudia Natasha Montolalu’s LPDP Journey from Unpad to Master of Public Policy in Chicago — Indos Across Borders

Welcome to another episode of Indos Across Borders, the podcast where we uncover the personal journeys of Indonesians building their lives abroad. Today, we sat down with Claudia Natasha Montolalu, who has been pursuing her Master of Public Policy at the University of Chicago’s Harris School since 2022. Audi shares her path from Indonesia to the U.S., driven by her commitment to public policy.

In this episode, we discussed:

Why Claudia chose a Master’s in Public Policy in the US after earning her Economics degree in Indonesia
Her perseverance through scholarship rejections before ultimately securing an LPDP award
Her summer internship experience with the United Nations in Bonn, Germany
First impressions of the U.S., from the clean air to the climate
How life in the U.S. encouraged her to "look within" beyond societal expectations
How familiarity with U.S. pop culture eased her transition, avoiding major culture shock
Observations on U.S. public transportation and infrastructure compared to Europe
Her role as Co-Founder of Yayasan 8detik Indonesia

"Be confident in anything — whatever the situation is, there’s always a way." - Claudia Natasha