Living the Dream: Nyiur's Semester in the U.S. with Global UGRAD

Nyiur Salsabila Frida turned her dream into reality when she was selected as an awardee of the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) and studied for one semester at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She first learned about Global UGRAD only two weeks before the application deadline. "It honestly felt like I was living in a dream… something I've always wished for."

"Besides the essay, the interview was the hardest part for me," she admitted. It required thinking and responding in English spontaneously — and she found her key insight through authenticity.

"Unless we dare to try, the lessons remain unlearned, and true readiness, forever out of reach." Through Global UGRAD, Nyiur learned confidence, perseverance, and the importance of authenticity — insights she later shared as a speaker in the IELS Insight Series.