'/></svg>)
From student to teacher on the same campus — and beyond!
When I decided to move back to my hometown in Gorontalo, Sulawesi, at the end of 2006, I never imagined it would become the launchpad for my teaching journey. Life felt completely different from the hustle and bustle of Jakarta. I now lived in a quiet village nestled at the foothills — surrounded by green hills, misty mornings, and endless stretches of rice fields. As someone who had grown up in a vibrant, fast-paced city, adjusting to this calm and rural pace took some effort. But rather than resist the change, I chose to embrace it as a new chapter.
My Village in Kabila, Gorontalo Indonesia
To keep myself engaged and inspired, I enrolled in a diploma program in English Translation at Universitas Terbuka, a distance-learning university that allowed me to study independently and attend campus only for exams. Most of my fellow students were teachers and professionals who also needed flexibility — and that atmosphere suited me perfectly. English has always been my passion, and diving deeper into it through this academic path gave me fresh energy. On one of my visits to the campus to pick up my academic transcript, the student affairs officers were impressed with my consistent A grades. When they learned that I had also studied in Australia in 1997, they casually asked, “Would you be interested in teaching English here?” I smiled — surprised, and honestly, a little amused.
Universitas Terbuka, Gorontalo Campus, Indonesia
Soon, we agreed to begin a small English class right on the campus terrace. My students? The campus administrative staff. My classroom? An open-air space, shaded and breezy. I taught using everyday examples, practical methods, and a lot of encouragement. And to my surprise — they loved it. It felt surreal being both a university student and a teacher on the same campus. That class ran for three months, and it sparked something in me. More importantly, it opened doors I hadn’t expected. My second opportunity came from a student who had seen me teaching on the terrace. She liked my approach and later introduced me to her workplace — the only Nursing School in Gorontalo. I submitted a proposal for a TOEIC Preparation Program tailored for their academic lecturers — and just like that, I landed a 30-hour teaching contract. This time, I was no longer outdoors. I was teaching in a modern, air-conditioned language lab equipped with everything I needed.
The shift felt incredible — from terrace talks to professional training sessions! From there, things moved quickly. With support from a close friend, I opened my own English classes in the heart of Gorontalo, and more students began to join.
🌟
And this was just the beginning!
And this was just the beginning! In Part 3, From a Small Classroom to a Community-Wide Impact — and a National Award I Never Saw Coming, I’ll share how this teaching momentum led to even more meaningful milestones — and how it all laid the foundation for teaching Bahasa Indonesia to foreigners years later.
Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!
