Kayla Shafira's Space
YOU FOUND ME!
Hey everyone, my name is Kayla Shafira, a 17 years old girl from Indonesia. Building this website makes me feel empowered since it allows me to explore who I am as a person and the person I aspire to be.
There's big chance that you're a fellow adventurer if you come across this page. This is the first chapter "Home is where the heart is". The picture of a plane that you see symbolizes new adventures, new challenges, new opportunities, and most importantly new stories. There's so many that I'd like to share but the one story below is one of those epiphany moments I had recently.
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SECOND CHAPTER: STORIES
23:30
Jakarta, November 30th 2024
That night, I was alone on the train, heading home from Jakarta. A man sitting next to me suddenly asked about my aspirations. I answered, “I’m not sure yet, sir.” He responded, “You need to have a dream.” I thought to myself, I do have dreams—so many, in fact, that I don’t know which one to pursue. But I didn’t want to argue, so I just smiled at him. I told him I really enjoy studying mathematics, physics, foreign languages, politics, and economics. The man smiled and gave me some advice: “In this world, you can’t be everything. Choose one.”
I nodded, but deep in my heart, I believed there must be a way to achieve all of it someday.
In an instant, my thoughts turned to a biography I had read a few years ago, the biography of an Indonesian national figure: BJ Habibie. He was the third president of Indonesia and also an engineer and aircraft scientist. Habibie’s international achievements include receiving the Edward Warner Award and the von Karman Award, which are on par with the Nobel Prize.
His vision to continue the N250 aircraft project had to be halted due to political issues. He said that the N250 aircraft had already lost its momentum. If Indonesia wanted to regain its prominence in the aerospace industry, he argued, it needed to develop an aircraft with a capacity of 80-90 people. The aviation industry in Indonesia is indeed crucial for improving connectivity between islands and boosting the productivity of its population.
Unfortunately, this has no longer been a government priority (as a national strategic project) since 2020. The Indonesian government has indeed not focused enough on research and development in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This is evident from the still limited number of laboratories that have been built. This, in fact, is what has been hindering the growth of the nation.
Gold medal National Al Azhar Science Olympiad in Astronomy
THIRD CHAPTER : A GLIMPSE OF MY ACHIEVEMENTS in 2024
January
I realize in order to reach my dreams, I need to act. Here are a few winning moments that I'm proud to share:
2nd Place Youth Scientific Writing State Level (World Water Day)
April
Selected as Indonesia's delegate for Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education Student Exchange Program 2024
July
SECOND CHAPTER: CONCLUSION
That night on the train, with a faint smile, I took out my notebook and began writing down the ideas that sounded crazy but filled me with excitement.
This is what makes me believe that, in order to advance the nation, interdisciplinary research and collaboration among scientists from various fields are necessary. This belief also inspired me to study aeronautical and astronautical engineering. I hope to develop environmentally friendly fuel for airplanes (Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF) using abundant local natural resources, such as waste cooking oil. I also want to study business, with the goal of establishing a foundation or high-quality schools. Additionally, I am interested in studying public policy, where I hope to formulate policies in the fields I am passionate about, with the hope that they will benefit many people’s lives.
