Future of health in good hands thanks to award-winning medical student Jennifer Budimulia

A passion for helping others and advocating for better mental health has seen Western Sydney University medical student, Jennifer Budimulia, recognised as one of NSW’s most outstanding international students in this year’s International Student Awards.

The NSW International Student Awards, an initiative of the NSW Government, showcase the outstanding contributions that international students make to the communities of NSW and celebrate the excellence in international student community engagement.

Jennifer is an international student from Jakarta, Indonesia, currently in her 2nd year of a medical degree at the University. She was announced as the winner of the Higher Education category, during a ceremony held in Sydney and live streamed around the world.

Along with her studies, Jennifer is busy with her work building a community-based mental health organisation for Indonesians called ‘Seribu Tujuan’. It supports members of the Indonesian community dealing with mental health issues through education, prevention and treatment.

Jennifer said Seribu Tujuan was established four years ago as a way to reach out to Indonesian friends who were also studying in Australia, helping them with any issues they might be experiencing and providing support. It has since expanded to Indonesia as well as helping to connect members of the Indonesian community around the world.

“Particularly during the pandemic we’ve seen how people, including students, can really feel isolated and disconnected which has impacted on their mental health. It’s been important for us to help connect with each other and reach more people across the Indonesian community,” said Jennifer.

A strong advocate for access to quality mental healthcare and giving back to her community, Jennifer has helped share her positive message about a hands-on approach to mental health by also talking at several events and workshops.

“I am really passionate about raising awareness of the importance of quality mental healthcare, particularly around breaking down the stigma surrounding this topic,” said Jennifer.

“I’ve always been interested in medicine, but my interest in mental health really only started since I’ve been in Australia. Through my own experiences I’ve learned more about mental health and how important it is to overall health and wellbeing. I want to take what I’ve learned back to Indonesia and really make a difference in the healthcare landscape there.”

Jennifer said her goal is to grow Seribu Tujuan and plans to continue her psychiatry training once she completes her degree so she can take a more hands-on approach to developing solutions for mental healthcare.

Jennifer chose to study abroad to experience and learn about the healthcare system in Australia, and said she has been loving her time at Western Sydney University.

“The experience here has been really great – I feel blessed to have the opportunity to study here. The University really embraces and celebrates different cultures, including Indigenous cultures. I’ve learned so much and I hope to take these experiences back to Indonesia with me.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise and International), Professor Deborah Sweeney, warmly congratulated Jennifer on her well-deserved success.

“Passionate students like Jennifer are a wonderful example of the incredibly diverse and vibrant international student community we have at Western Sydney University – highly-engaged and actively making a difference in their communities,” said Professor Sweeney.

“Our international students are a much-valued part of our University, enriching our student experience. We are immensely proud and inspired by Jennifer’s work and the important contributions she is making. We wish her all the best for her studies – we know we will hear more great things from her in the future.”

ENDS

28 October 2022

Amanda Whibley, Manager, Media and Public Relations