Name : Daniel Kurniawan
Major : Chemical Engineering with Certificate in Computer Science
Graduation date: May 2018
What awesome things are you up to now?
I just graduated with a chemical engineering degree. I will be working as a full-time process control engineer at Georgia Pacific LLC (pulp and paper company, a subsidiary of Koch Industries) based in Green Bay, WI.
How are you involved on campus?
I had been involved in various research activities as an undergraduate. I was a part of Maravelias group from the Chemical Engineering Department doing research in process system engineering resulting in the authorship of two peer-reviewed publications. I was also a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineer (AIChE) student organization and did some volunteering activities with them. Finally, I was also a part of the Indonesian Student Association (Permias Madison) board member as a finance officer and a vice president.
In my junior year, I spent 9 months doing an internship as a process development engineer at TDK-Hutchinson Technology, an electronic manufacturing company in Eau Claire, WI.
What's your favorite thing about Madison and the UW?
Madison and the UW are the ideal places to spend 4 years as a college student. It is a beautiful and perfectly sized city where you can find everything you need, without the hustle and bustle. The UW is arguably one of the best university in the world, with stellar academics, world-class professors, and peers, leading research programs and a strong school culture. Watching the Wisconsin Badgers dominating college football and basketball is probably one of my favorite things to do.
What about your favorite thing about Permias Madison?
You will be surrounded by some of the brightest Indonesians of our generation, the future leaders of our country. On top of that, the people here are kind-hearted and caring, they won’t hesitate to help others in need and to be inclusive. They are also a very pleasant group of friends to hang out with.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. If this wise word is an absolute truth, then I would not wish for a better circle of friends. Every single one of them are high-quality human beings.
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One-liner advice for future Badgers?
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Realize that you are attending a world-class university and it is a BLESSING that only the luckiest people get to experience.
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The next 4 years here will define who you are and shape the rest of your life, so build good habits. Put maximum efforts in whatever you do, don’t cheat or cut corners, be nice, respect others and most importantly, be humble.
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At some point as a college student, all of us will INEVITABLY experience failure such as failing exams, bad grades or rejected from a job position, internship or major. It is okay to be sad or disappointed, but always let that failure be a stepping stone for self-improvements.
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Finally, DO NOT skip class because it can be very addicting quickly.