Penn Global Week Q&A with Hugo Leo, President of the Assembly of International Students (AIS)

Tell us a bit about your life before Penn and what led you to this point.

I grew up in a suburb outside Jakarta, Indonesia. In high school, I had many different interests such as urban planning, public policy, data analytics and entrepreneurship. As such, I was drawn to Penn due to its emphasis on interdisciplinary education. I was also impressed by Penn and Philadelphia's strong international representation. 

What are you studying at Penn, and do you have any goals or dreams for after graduation?

I am currently a junior at Penn, studying Finance and Business Analytics in Wharton with a minor in East Asian Languages & Civilizations. After graduation, I see myself working in the financial services industry but I hope to return to Indonesia one day to work in public policy. 

What got you interested in international student advocacy and led you to get involved with AIS?

Motivated by my experiences as part of student government in high school, I knew I wanted to get involved in student advocacy in some form or another at Penn. I chose AIS because I wanted to represent a student population large enough to impact the entire University but small enough so that I can fully relate to the issues at stake. 

Penn’s global mission is central to the University’s identity. How have you experienced Penn as a “global campus?”

My global experience at Penn started off during international student orientation back in 2018, when Dr. Rudie Altamirano of ISSS asked students to stand up when their country was called out. I remember being surprised at how long the exercise took - a total of 104 countries were represented in my class. Through the years, I was fortunate enough to host a conference on Indonesia and attend talks by global changemakers such as Loung Ung, author of "First They Killed My Father," her memoir which depicts the tragic Cambodian genocide of the 70s. These events would have not been possible if not for the wide reach of Penn's global network.

What is your vision, or some of your high-level priorities, for your tenure as AIS’ president?

This year, AIS will focus on three main pillars: inclusionality, integration and intentionality. We hope to continuously improve the diversity of our club's overall composition. Furthermore, we aim to proactively react to the specific needs of international students in the Spring. For example, over winter break, our International Mentorship & Orientation committee collaborated with ISSS to create our first ever Winter Orientation Program covering timely topics such as study from home tips and a guide on living in Philadelphia.

Later this Spring, our Alumni & Employment committee is planning to roll out our International Alumni Mentorship Program for the first time, connecting international students with recent international alumni to navigate topics such as post-graduation opportunities in the US and abroad.

Lastly, we plan to build a more intentional culture in AIS by increasing the transparency of our advocacy efforts among our constituents and by fostering a welcoming internal culture within AIS. 

Any advice for new or incoming international students?

There is no set path that you should follow at Penn. Broadly speaking, do what you can to maximize your growth experiences here, whether that is taking a non-major class you never thought you'd take or studying abroad. Most importantly, have fun and soak in the entire process - time sure does fly fast!