Uly Dame Ria Ambarita – Secondary Subject Teacher (Bahasa Indonesia & PPKN)

For the past eighteen years, I’ve had the honor of teaching Bahasa Indonesia and Pendidikan Pancasila to students across elementary and middle In an international setting, my role is special: I see myself as a cultural bridge, helping students connect with the beautiful language and values of our host country, Indonesia.

My educational quote is simple: “Language is the key to a culture’s heart.” I believe that when you learn Bahasa, you aren’t just learning words; you are learning respect, community, and a new way of seeing the world. This is the same goal we have in Pancasila—building understanding and unity.

To make students love these subjects, I make sure learning is active, not passive. We don’t just stay in the classroom. We learn Bahasa by singing Indonesian songs, or playing traditional games. For Pancasila, we don’t just memorize the five principles; we connect them to real life through stories, community projects, and discussions about how we can be respectful and helpful citizens of the world, starting right here in our school.

My biggest achievement this semester was successfully training my students to be the ceremony officials for the Indonesian Independence Day, using Bahasa Indonesia flawlessly.” And also seeing students from different backgrounds work together on a project, truly living the Pancasila values of unity and mutual respect.