Indonesian Tennis Star Joleta Budiman, Via NJIT, is Now a Business Analyst

New Jersey Institute of Technology is rarely on the minds of high school counselors in Indonesia, but things were different for student tennis player Joleta Budiman, out of suburban Bandung, West Java — "I am utterly grateful that I was given the choice because coming here really did change my life, as cliché as it sounds," she said.

Budiman was an internationally ranked under-18 player who learned English while touring and had a teenage epiphany that she could stay in Indonesia and chase the dream of turning professional, or come to the United States, play collegiately and start a business career.

Reaching out to several college coaches didn't produce a match until Budiman heard from an NJIT coach who welcomed her to become a Highlander. She wanted a technology slant, not just a traditional business school, making her a perfect fit for Martin Tuchman School of Management. Meanwhile she studied for the SAT and TOEFL.

"Not many people come to the U.S. from Indonesia, and especially not for tennis. Obviously I didn't know about New Jersey Institute of Technology before. I researched it and saw the improvements that had been made," in academic ranking, the tennis team and the campus itself, she said. Since then, she earned two degrees — a B.S. in business, concentrating in financial technology, and now an M.S. in management, concentrating in business analytics — along with a resume of tennis accolades, including the NJIT Women’s Tennis Outstanding Player award for the 2023 season.

Budiman will begin her career this summer as an analyst for northern New Jersey's Valley Bank. "I am interested in the analytics side because I have always been a problem-solving person and have had fun doing them," she explained. "When I was first introduced to data mining, I just noticed myself really invested in the topic. Furthermore, I believe in facts more than theories, so data gives me that peace."

"In terms of new technologies, artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms are definitely the two that I'm most fascinated with," she added. Though not a programmer, "I always look forward to new software or approaches to view, automate and visualize data."

Her interest in business goes back many years. Her father was an accountant back home. Even when she traveled for tennis tournaments, "I was always the one who did the budgeting!"

However, she hasn't seen her family since 2021. She plans to save enough money to bring them here, and her plan to obtain an H1B visa for herself, then a green card and ultimately U.S. citizenship. But she talks to them through the Internet. "My family is definitely very happy," she said, "but it's literally on the other side of the world."

"Joleta is a leader on and off the court," NJIT women's tennis coach Patricia Piorkowski stated. "Not only is Jo the highest-rated player on the team, she was a superior role model to our young team with her work ethic on the practice court, her persistence in match play and her academic intensity."

"She qualified for the ITA Northeastern Super Regional tournament and had dramatic wins against top players from Cornell, Villanova and Hofstra. Jo’s tennis game is creative and intense," Piorkowski said. "I have no doubt the qualities Joleta brings to the tennis court will translate well into her business career."