Margareta Anthonius’ journey to Pacific Oaks College has opened a world of opportunities she didn’t even know were possible just a few years ago.
Anthonius moved to the United States in 2018, after earning a bachelor’s degree in communications with a specialization in public relations from Binus University in Jakarta, Indonesia. “Studying in the United States has been my dream since I was in high school, so I moved here straight after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree,” she says. Once in the U.S., Anthonius took ESL classes for a couple of years to better prepare for college courses in English.
When she believed she was ready, Anthonius applied for her ideal graduate program at a big state public school—only to be informed that they were not accepting graduate applications due to the pandemic. Only momentarily deterred, Anthonius instead attended Pasadena Community College for two semesters to become certified in child development. However, she soon began to realize the child development path might not be for her after all.
A counselor at PCC encouraged Anthonius to get back on track with her master’s degree rather than continuing to pursue certifications. She showed Anthonius how many options were available to her at other schools in California that she might not have known about before and assured her that she didn’t have to attend a large public school with a well-known name. As a result, Anthonius began her search for a graduate program anew, which soon brought her to visit Pacific Oaks’ Pasadena campus. This visit would further open Anthonius’ eyes to the full scope of opportunities that lay before her.
The Pacific Oaks difference
After a campus tour and introduction to the various programs, Anthonius had a conversation with a Pacific Oaks enrollment counselor who began with a simple, yet perception-altering question: “What do you want to do?”
“Many schools only accept students and are not open to them asking questions or giving feedback,” Anthonius explains. “They say ‘this is our program, let’s go.’ But Pacific Oaks asked me, ‘What do you want to do? What do you want to do in your life, in your career goals? That was an eye-opener for me.”
When Anthonius began to describe her interests, the enrollment counselor suggested the Human Development program, a new type of program to Anthonius. “I had never heard of that before. I don’t think human development programs are very common, and they were definitely not common in my country,” she says. “So when I heard about it, I immediately had more questions about what it was, and the enrollment counselor explained. That was another thing that was different about Pacific Oaks: They took the time to explain. I had never experienced that at other schools.”
Anthonius was excited by the program, immediately taking interest in the specialization for Leadership in Education and Human Services. However, she still had financial factors to settle.
“The enrollment counselors told me there were a lot of scholarship opportunities at Pacific Oaks. But I pointed out that I’m not a citizen of the United States. How would that work for me?” Anthonius recalls. They then told her about the Pacific Oaks Diversity Scholarship, a new institutional scholarship Pacific Oaks has designated for international students entering approved programs for international enrollment at the Pasadena, San Jose, and online campuses of Pacific Oaks College.
“I asked them what I needed to do to get that scholarship, and they told me I need to maintain high grades and present the value of Diversity,” Anthonius explains. “I got excited and nervous at the same time, wondering if I could do it. But I know myself. Whenever I put my mind to something, I go get it! I couldn’t let go of the amazing opportunity, so I told them, ‘OK, let’s do it.’”
Agent of understanding
Through her hard work and enthusiasm, Anthonius qualified for the Pacific Oaks Diversity Scholarship and was accepted into the Human Development program. Since her time as a Pacific Oaks student began, Anthonius has felt the welcoming embrace of the Pacific Oaks community.
“During my first week of classes, Dr. Jack Paduntin, the president of Pacific Oaks, reached out to me, saying he wanted to meet me,” Anthonius recalls. She was surprised by the invitation, thinking, “Oh, what? The president of this college wants to meet me?”
But when they met in person, Anthonius was pleasantly surprised. “We just began to click. We had a good discussion. One thing that I really liked about him was how he shared his experience,” Anthonius says. “That day, he told me he was once an international student as well, and that they could open many doors for me because there are actually a lot of opportunities out there. On that day, I also found out that I was the first recipient of the Diversity Scholarship.”
During that meeting, Dr. Paduntin had advice that resonated deeply with Anthonius.
“He said that as an agent representing and introducing Indonesia to the Pacific Oaks community, I should work to not only learn from the other diverse people, but also show them what they can learn from me,” Anthonius recalls. “As an international student, I’ve had a lot of anxiety about communication, pressure to blend in, and being accepted. So when Dr. Paduntin said that, it really boosted my confidence. From that point, I knew exactly what he wanted me to do as the first Diversity Scholarship recipient.”
Anthonius has since found herself comfortably fitting into the Pacific Oaks community, speaking with great enthusiasm about the friendly and inclusive atmosphere she has experienced in classes and across campus.
“Everyone here will greet you. And we have small classes, where the teachers ask what we want to do in class, and how the class can help us reach our goals, which is a very good thing for me. It helps us identify and focus on our goal, and work toward it,” she explains. “As an international student, I think I’m the only Asian in the class, but I never have any problems because everyone is so helpful. We support each other!”
So far, Anthonius has found everything she was hoping for in choosing Pacific Oaks. “I’m so grateful,” she says. “First: for being Indonesian. Second: for being an international student here in the U.S. And third: for finding a school that gives me opportunities to explore, learn, and meet great people.”
As for the future, Anthonius plans to make the most of her time at Pacific Oaks. “I would say that my goal is to maximize my time learning at Pacific Oaks, successfully represent the value of diversity, build strong leadership character in myself, and be an agent of change in society,” she says.
Pacific Oaks President Jack Paduntin, scholarship recipient Margareta Anthonius, and Pat Meda, director of Pacific Oaks CARE Office
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