by Charlotte Atkins
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Syaweli Saputra, left, Ruddi Nefid and Nugroho from West Sumatra in Indonesia wear traditional attire from their Minangkabau culture. They demonstrated the martial art form pancak silat at First Baptist Church after thanking church members for their support this past school year. (photo by Charlotte Atkins)
Syaweli Saputra, left, Ruddi Nefid and Nugroho from West Sumatra in Indonesia wear traditional attire from their Minangkabau culture. They demonstrated the martial art form pancak silat at First Baptist Church after thanking church members for their support this past school year. (photo by Charlotte Atkins)
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Syaweli Saputra loved the experience of Darlington’s senior prom — especially donning a dapper tuxedo.
Ruddi Nefid loves to paint, so much so that he changed his major at Berry to studio art. This is his self-portrait.
A highlight of Nugroho’s year at Shorter was the chance to visit Universal Studios during spring break.
Jan Williams created a nonprofit foundation to help youths from other cultures get a strong secondary education. Williams is shown with the Indonesian trio Syaweli Saputra, left, Ruddi Nefid and Nugroho after they performed a pancak silat demonstration at First Baptist Church after thanking church members for their support this past school year. (photo by Charlotte Atkins / RN-T)
Jan Williams created a nonprofit foundation to help youths from other cultures get a strong secondary education. Williams is shown with the Indonesian trio Syaweli Saputra, left, Ruddi Nefid and Nugroho after they performed a pancak silat demonstration at First Baptist Church after thanking church members for their support this past school year. (photo by Charlotte Atkins / RN-T)
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They came to the land of “y’all,” venturing 10,000 miles from the mountains of West Sumatra for the chance for an American education.
Three young Indonesian men — Ruddi Nefid, Syaweli Saputra and Nugroho — were brave and blessed enough to leave their villages to come to Rome to learn.
And learn they did. They learned lasagna and steak are mighty tasty. They learned the national monuments and museums of Washington, D.C., are “amazing,” and the same goes for spring break at Universal Studios in Orlando.
One learned that his true passion is art. Another learned how handsome he looks in a prom tuxedo. They all learned that we Southerners love to hug.
And now they do too, if their visit to First Baptist Church was any indication as members stopped by their table at the Wednesday night dinner to wish them well as they wrap up their school year. More than once the young men stood for hugs.
The church has been a support system for them in their inaugural year in the United States as it has been for Jan Williams, the Rome woman who founded a nonprofit group to help young people like these three.
Several years ago, Williams lived and worked in Indonesia, teaching tennis to students. There she experienced how motivated and bright they were, and yet few educational opportunities beyond high school exist in the world’s largest archipelago nation.
So Williams helped found the Ruble International Education Initiative. It’s based here in education-rich Rome, where three private educational institutions stepped up and pledged their support.
Ruddi, who is from Bukittinggi, attends Berry College on a four-year scholarship, while Nugroho, from Sawahlunto, attends Shorter College on a four-year scholarship.
Syaweli, on scholarship for the year, will graduate from Darlington School next Saturday. That same day, he’ll board a plane home to his village of Maninjau halfway around the world. He plans to attend medical school in Indonesia with further support from RIEI.
The year has held surprises and challenges as they’ve navigated a new culture. But with the guidance of people like Williams, fellow church member Allison Brooks, board member Tina Rush, First Baptist minister of faith development Prissy Tunnell and others, the students have had a loving network to help them adapt and cope.
Major decisions
When asked what’s the most surprising thing to learn in their first year, Nugroho said, “I was surprised that American college students change majors so much in the first one or two years.”
Funny he should mention that. You see, Nugroho has always loved science and his dream is to be an engineer.
That path was unlikely for him until Williams and her group presented him with an unfathomable opportunity. He’s loved his first year at Shorter, where his study focus was business administration.
He now has another opportunity, a full four-year scholarship to Mercer University to get his degree from its School of Engineering. “If I could do anything, in my heart, I want to be an engineer,” he told Williams.
But his bags are not yet packed for Macon. For that to become a reality, RIEI needs to raise the $8,000 a year for room and board. It was difficult to consider transferring because he has built a base of support and friendship here in Rome, he said. But he also knows a blessing when he sees it.
“Sometimes we have to do things to get what we want. Engineering is what I want to do.”
Ruddi, too, discovered his passion in his freshman year at Berry. He was on track to study computer science.
His grandfather and father loved to paint. So does Ruddi. “We have an artistic nature,” he said. He took an art class his first semester at Berry, and it rekindled his love of art. Now he’s decided that art is his new major.
A Tiger at heart
For Syaweli, the path has been clearer. He came to attend Darlington School for a year before returning to Indonesia to pursue his medical education. With his graduation and departure just days away, it’s obvious his emotions are stirring.
“I am excited to see my family, yes, but so sad to leave my American friends and all the things here,” said Syaweli.
“I love America, and I hope this is not my last time to come here.”
But he made the most of his time here. He has been an A-B student at Darlington — as they all have at their respective schools — and was involved in the school’s drama program. He went to his first prom, which he said was thrilling.
And for spring break Betsy and Georgia Awsumb, Darlington English teachers, took him with them to Washington, D.C. He saw the Capitol, Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument and visited the Museum of Natural History, the White House and the Space Museum.
But when he speaks about Washington, he mostly effuses about the Awsumbs. “They feel like my American grandparents,” he said.
His love of Darlington is obvious, and his excitement about graduation is palpable, even though it’s tinged with the sadness of saying goodbye — not only to his Rome friends, but also to his cohorts who will remain in Georgia to complete their college education.
But the three vow to keep in touch. And they will do that the same way they have been able to stay in touch with their families back home, through e-mail and the Internet.
Cultural ambassadors
When they first arrived in Rome, Ruddi was shy and the quietest of the three. He’s still no chatterbox, but now there’s a budding confidence and a willingness to engage. He smiles more, especially if he’s talking about art or pencak silat, the martial art form of Indonesia.
All three students studied it in high school, but Ruddi is more advanced and is instructor-level. He may teach pencak silat next year at Berry. “We will work this summer to make that happen,” he said.
He explained that there are two basic styles of the martial art form, but there are thousands of variations. “Every village has its own style.” He said the “focus is not so much on attacking an opponent as it is on defense of self.”
The trio demonstrated pencak silat at the First Baptist dinner as well as other events in town, such as the Rome International Festival, garbed in traditional Minangkabau attire with a colorful wrap called a sampiang and a head scarf that’s called a deta.
While Ruddi played a flute, Syaweli and Nugroho performed a modern pencak silat style known as “Satria Muda Indonesia” for their church patrons. Ruddi then did a greeting movement “Salam” (which is their culture’s verbal greeting or salutation meaning “peace”) of the traditional style called “Silek Tuo.”
All three say sharing their culture and religion has been as fulfilling as their experiences and learning about American culture and ways.
Along the way, said Nugroho, stereotypes have given way to mutual understanding of one another’s culture.
“That’s a large part of what we hoped would happen,” said Williams.
RIEI’s mission
The foundation that had its seed in Williams’ heart continues to reap support. Not only has Mercer offered a scholarship, but Wesleyan College in Macon has also offered a full scholarship for a female student.
Ruddi, Syaweli and Nugroho have shown Williams and others that their mission is a worthy one. Her First Baptist family has been a cornerstone of its success, says Williams.
“They have been a source of support in a wide variety of ways. Whether it’s been prayer, financial, sharing their homes or collecting items, they have rallied around anything we have needed.”
A crucial component, says Williams, is that these young men will return to Indonesia and make a difference in their country. A condition of being allowed to be educated in the U.S. is that they’ll return and work under contract for four years with the Indonesian government.
“They will be giving back so much when they return,” said Williams.
Those who have borne witness to the past nine months rejoice in the young men’s success so far.
“It’s been so exciting to see how they’ve changed this year. They’ve adapted so well and are so much more at ease,” said Allison Brooks.
‘A million thanks’
The value of the opportunity to immerse themselves in American life and get a top-notch education is not lost on these young men. Nor is Williams’ role as the linchpin that made it happen.
“If she didn’t give us this chance, it all would have just stayed a dream, a wish that never came true,” said Nugroho. “We would like to thank her and everyone who made the chance to let us experience American college life and continue our education.”
Syaweli enthusiastically added, “a million thanks! If not for her, I would not have gotten to come here to have all these experiences.”
Ruddi just quietly shook his head and then said, “There are no words enough to express how much this means to us.”
But there is one word that’s been heard to slip from at least two of their mouths that is perhaps telling of just how adapted and fond they’ve become of Rome and the people here — “y’all.”
To learn more
For more information or to help, visit the RIEI at rubleinternationaledu.org or e-mail Jan Williams at jntwilliams@aol.com.
