Next Stop: Fletcher (Introducing Adi)

Today, let’s meet Adi, a first-year student in the MIB program who will be writing for the Student Stories feature during his two years at Fletcher.  Adi has roots in both the U.S. and Indonesia and has spent long stretches of time in each.

To be honest, I had never considered Fletcher as my destination for graduate school.  I had barely heard of Fletcher in the social circles I normally operate around.  And yet, here I am, three months into my academic journey as a Master of International Business (MIB) candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and it could not have been any better.

I left my previous job in Indonesia looking for new ways I could bridge the private sector’s involvement in development efforts, beyond the usual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) donations.  Thus, in choosing my graduate school program, I looked into either a Master of Public Policy, where I could design the regulatory environment for business involvement, or a Master of Business Administration, diving right into the innovation system within corporate organizations.  I was even considering a joint MBA-MPP degree.  In the MIB at Fletcher, I found the ability to do both, and so much more.  My daily classes are filled with learning as much about corporate financing and risk of investments as about the political risk of being in a foreign environment.  I haven’t even gotten to the full range of courses that Fletcher has to offer.

I have attempted to immerse myself in the Fletcher spirit by joining the Fletcher Social Impact Group, advising a start-up team with their market entry strategy into Boston.  I am organizing two separate conferences scheduled for the beginning of 2017, with themes from innovations in international affairs to populism as a political risk.  And, by attending lectures and events, I have interacted with senior managers from Boeing, Deloitte, GAP, and BCG, as well start-up founders.  Sometimes, there are so many events happening that I simply cannot decide which I wish to attend.  The relatively small but tight-knit community, the flexibility of the curriculum, and the wealth of event options have made the past three months very exciting, stressful, and colorful, all at the same time.

All of this excitement has made me wonder, as I reflect back to how I managed to get here: how had I never heard about Fletcher before I actually started applying?  At first, I thought it was a lack of outreach from the School in Indonesia.  Then, I looked at the profile of Indonesian alumni, and I saw former ministers of foreign affairs, heads of national planning, and directors from multi-national banks.  I realized, there must be a Fletcher presence in Indonesia, and a pretty strong one at that.  The alumni network in Indonesia, though small, actually holds key positions and are very influential.  And the best part is that they, too, are proudly part of the Fletcher community.

The strength of the alumni network amazes me.  I have heard about how most universities take pride in the diversity and success of their alumni, but I had never before heard, let alone experienced, how strong this alumni connection can be.  Email any Fletcher graduate whose background you might be interested in, and you will very likely get a quick reply asking how they can help.  In the three months I have been here, I probably have reached out to more than 50 alumni, and they all have responded, even if we needed to work around their schedules.  And the more I am embedded in this community, the more I realize that this culture is not exclusive to alumni, but also current students, staff, and the faculty.

Quite simply, I feel that coming to Fletcher is one of the best decisions I have made.  I cannot wait to see how the rest of my Fletcher journey will turn out.  I can’t claim that I have gotten the full insight into what Fletcher has to offer, but I am definitely excited to see what else is out there.

I know that many Indonesians back home would be interested in joining this community, and will have a lot to add.  And I know that many will benefit from the Fletcher experience, with the flexibility, the events, and the resources, to graduate ready to contribute back to the country.  So here I am, hoping to ensure that people hear more about Fletcher.  Here I am, to ensure that more Indonesians will make Fletcher their next stop.