<p><a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/explore/degrees-and-programs/ms-in-global-hospitality-management.html">MS in Global Hospitality Management</a> candidate Natasya Maurren Tan’s journey to NYU SPS spans continents, cultures, and unforeseen challenges.</p> <p>“As someone who grew up in a small town in Indonesia, I know what it feels like to live so far from the country’s major cities that it often feels overlooked,” she recalls. That sense of distance instilled in Tan a determination to seek opportunities beyond the boundaries of her hometown of Timika.</p> <p>At just 12 years old, Tan moved to Jakarta to live with her grandmother in pursuit of a better education. “Growing up without my parents’ guidance was difficult, but that early independence became a defining part of who I am,” she says. That independence carried her across the globe to Switzerland, where she pursued her undergraduate studies in hospitality—an achievement she once thought unimaginable.</p> <p>“As a first‑generation student, my family has always pushed me to look beyond the world I grew up in. They didn’t have the chance to pursue higher education themselves, but they worked tirelessly so that I could,” Tan explains. “They wanted me to experience the world. Their sacrifices are the reason I chase opportunities that once felt out of reach.”</p>

<p>After completing her undergraduate degree, Tan set her sights on NYU. “During the application process, it felt almost impossible. I had no roadmap, and no understanding of the US education system. There were so many moments where I doubted myself, where the dream felt too big for someone like me—someone from a small, overlooked town at the edge of Indonesia.”</p> <p>But Tan persevered. Her application essay wove together the story of her family’s sacrifices and her vision for the future. “Long story short, I got in. I was accepted, and now I have the privilege of studying at NYU, something my younger self in Timika could never have imagined.”</p> <p>“Being first‑generation means carrying both the weight of your family’s sacrifices and the privilege of possibilities they never had,” she says. “It means knowing that every step forward isn’t just for you, it’s for the ones who worked so hard to give you the chance to dream.”</p>