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Eugeniu (left in green Batik) with his Gamelan and Dangdut ensemble instructors.
Eugeniu Prodan is an alumnus of the 2022 CLS Indonesian Program hosted by Universitas Negeri Malang in Malang, Indonesia. He is a second-year student in the Master of International Affairs Program at Texas A&M University. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. Eugeniu hopes to become a U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officer and one day work in Indonesia and contribute to the growth of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the U.S.
Getting to Know Eugeniu
I was born and raised in the Republic of Moldova. I grew up bilingual, speaking Russian at home and Romanian in school. As a child, I knew that fluency in foreign languages would be crucial for my career so I always enjoyed language classes in school.
Future Career Goals
My long-term career goal is to become a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) at the U.S. Department of State. I plan to focus on Consular Affairs as an FSO. In the first few years of my career, my time will be dedicated to visa adjudications, the supervision of local staff, and liaising with the government of the host country in order to combat consular fraud and assist American citizens abroad. All of these activities will require an advanced knowledge of the official language(s) of the host country.
Why Indonesian?
I knew that I would travel to Indonesia at some point so I realized that learning Indonesian would be crucial for me. Another motivation for me to study Indonesian is my commitment to pursue a career in foreign affairs. The Indo-Pacific region is becoming increasingly important to U.S. national security interests.
Celebrating Fourth of July in Indonesia
One of my favorite memories from my CLS Program is the Fourth of July celebration organized by our institute at the State University of Malang. Besides the amazing decorations, delicious food, fireworks, great music, and lots of exciting language activities, our institute prepared something that I will remember forever.
At one point towards the beginning of the celebration, all the Indonesian staff and teachers went on stage and started singing the U.S. national anthem for our CLS cohort. It was one of the most touching moments I have ever experienced in my life. After listening to the U.S. national anthem, our CLS cohort began singing the Indonesian anthem for our Indonesian hosts as well. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to participate in this activity, because it symbolized the people-to-people ties and mutual understanding that our CLS cohort and our Indonesian counterparts are building for the future.
