Exchange student enjoying time at MHS

Post date: Nov 18, 2017 4:26:45 PM

By: Fatuma Mohamed

Rei Yajima, 17, is a student that attends at Moorhead High School and is part of the Rotary Exchange Program. This program teaches young students the idea of world peace, and allows them to learn new, cultural languages and build leadership skills. Rei joined this program to make friends around the world, and to learn new cultures or people as teenager. Rei is a exchange student from Japan, but she was born in New York City. Her parents were married 1992 in Japan, and Rei’s father graduated from Waseda University. He majored for electrical engineering and got a job in New York, and he was assigned to a local staff of a Japanese trading company in 1996. Rei’s mother graduated from Tudajyuku University, and majored in international relations at New York University. Once she was done with graduate school she earned her master’s degree in Professional Studies. Shortly after, when Rei was 18 months, her father got another job back in Japan, so they moved back.

Rei has one younger brother, Ryo who is 15 years old. Rei enjoys playing soccer and was part of the Moorhead High School Soccer team. Her soccer season gave her many precious memories as an exchange student, and her teammates taught her many things. Rei grew up in Urawa, Saitama City in Saitama Prefecture. There is a wide variety of amusements facilities, and her town is convenient for public transportation, so she can go out to the cities casually, including Tokyo. The population in Saitama is one million, and is one of the ordinance designated cities In Japan. Also, one of the most popular soccer teams, the Urawa Reds, are based in Urawa, so there are thousands of people there who enjoy soccer, also, Rei’s city is very famous for their eels.

Back in Japan, Rei attened at Urawa Girls Upper Secondary School, which is an all-girls school. Their school year starts in April until March of the next year, so their graduation ceremony is in March. Also, their summer vacation is very different from our vacation: they have six weeks of vacation. In Japanese schools students are mainly busy with their studies and studying is very important to them. Rei believes that American teenagers and Japaneses teenagers are similar, but American fashion is totally different. Overall, Rei is very interesting person to get to know. She is amazing young talented person, who has so much to tell about her culture and as a person.