Where it all Begin

My first step in a different path where every step becomes a lesson, every place is a classroom and every moment a story worth keeping.

“This picture was taken during my first task as an official member of Team Indonesia.”

“After my junior year, I will just live like a normal student with a clear vision to take the simple path of my teaching internship journey.” This was me thinking a year ago before I enrolled in the senior year of my bachelor’s degree. As an average student, I always choose the easiest path. “Average student” means average responsibility, average dreams, and average experiences. However, the universe perhaps had another plan for me, and the simple path that I created was not fulfilled. Instead, the universe put me on a path that was beyond my imagination.

I was one of the candidates, and later the representative of mathematics education, to become an international student under the SEA-Teacher program, an international exchange initiative by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). This program allows preservice teachers to observe classes, teach, and learn from mentors. The goal is to improve their teaching skills, English communication, and understanding of different cultures.

At lightning speed, days turned into weeks, and the exchange program really occurred right in front of my face on the 4th of April four students and a teacher arrived full of excitement, ready to explore our teaching style and immerse themselves in the culture. I was able to witness their journey for about a week, and the days after that, it was time for me to explore, understand, learn, and experience the education and culture in Indonesia.

I am Ivan S. Sajol, a mathematics student-teacher from Southern Leyte State University-Tomas Oppus Campus, your storyteller with a curious soul who said “yes” to becoming an exchange student—and ended up collecting unforgettable moments, cultural surprises, and a few hilarious misunderstandings along the way.

Somewhere along these pages, I found pieces of a journey I didn’t know I needed. Perhaps, in some unexpected way, as you scan these pages, you might find something here too.