Promoting Local Culture, UMN Students Win Apple International Competition

The game “Make Your History”, created by UMN student Rachelle Irene, inspired by the legend of Roro Jonggrang.

TANGERANG – Another proud achievement has been made by students of Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN). Out of more than 30,000 global participants, only 350 were selected as global winners in the Apple Swift Student Challenge 2022 at the international Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). One of them is Rachelle Irene, a 2022 DKV UMN student majoring in Interactive Design.

This prestigious competition, organized by Apple Inc., attracted participants from around the world and challenged young talents to create interactive projects using Swift Playgrounds. Rachelle expressed her disbelief when she was announced as a winner.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect it and was really surprised. This is my first time coding, so I didn’t expect to be chosen! When it was announced, I was very happy, and it felt like all my struggles learning to code had paid off. It’s very rewarding!” said Rachelle.

Apple announced the winners via email and on the official WWDC Swift Student Challenge website in early June 2022. For Rachelle, this achievement has great significance because it shows that young Indonesians are capable of competing at a global level. She emphasized that this victory is proof that UMN students are capable of excelling on the international stage.

Rachelle Irene, a UMN student, was selected as one of the winners of the Apple Swift Student Challenge 2022 at the international Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

As an Interactive Design student, Rachelle sees that design and coding are not two separate things. Instead, these two aspects come together to create a good digital experience.

“Both are important. Without design, people won’t understand or feel comfortable using what we create. But without coding, the design will never be realized. So, for me, design and coding complement each other; it’s not about choosing one over the other,” Rachelle explained.

This perspective also formed the basis of the project that earned her the WWDC Scholar 2022 title. Rachelle developed a game titled “Make Your History,” inspired by the legend of Roro Jonggrang. The project blends local cultural elements with an engaging interactive experience. She explained that players can rewrite the story to save the main character in the game.

“What might make it stand out is the combination of local culture and fun interactions, plus everything is made with pixel art and gamelan music, in Swift Playgrounds. You can see and play the game on the App Store!” Rachelle said.

Through this work, Rachelle has successfully introduced Indonesian culture to the global community through a creative and technological approach. The opportunity to participate in WWDC has also given Rachelle a new perspective on the vast world of technology and creativity.

According to Rachelle, the experience of interacting on a global scale has taught her the importance of having the courage to try new things. She advises others not to be afraid to try, because even small steps can open bigger doors.

“The most valuable thing is our perspective or mindset, that the world is vast and very open to new ideas. As long as we dare to try, whether the outcome is a win or a loss, it can be a valuable lesson for us,” Rachelle explained.

By Melinda Chang | UMN News Service

English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora

Kuliah di Jakarta untuk jurusan program studi Informatika| Sistem Informasi | Teknik Komputer | Teknik Elektro | Teknik Fisika | Akuntansi | Manajemen| Komunikasi Strategis | Jurnalistik | Desain Komunikasi Visual | Film dan Animasi | Arsitektur | D3 Perhotelan , di Universitas Multimedia Nusantara.