Hi, I am Mao Kashiwa, an HTIC 2017 graduate. I transferred to St. Cloud State University (SCSU) in Minnesota and majored in psychology and minored in special education. I appreciated SCSU since it taught me what I want to do in the future! After graduating from SCSU, I came back to Japan and started my master’s degree online at University of Cincinnati in Ohio. I am specifically learning about behavioral analysis now to be a behavior analyst since I am quite interested in developmental disabilities and would like to work with people with autism. It is nice to take classes online since I can stay with my family in Japan, so I encourage you to consider a school having online programs as an option. In this era, we cannot anticipate when the COVID-19 is gone, but an online program is a way to complete a degree. So please do not give up even though it is hard to picture your dream now!

I assume many HTIC students will think of transferring to a university after HTIC. There are things to consider before deciding which school you go to. I went to OSS to discuss the various schools and received advice many times. I chose to go to SCSU because the tuition for international students was affordable, there was a good scholarship, the explanation of a Psychology major sounded nice, and I could transfer all my credits that I earned at HTIC.

Minnesota was such a cold state, in more ways than one! In my opinion, people there were not so open like people in Hawaii. It was challenging to be independent and strong, able to figure things out by myself, get along with classmates, and fit the environment. However, the experiences also gave me the idea that nothing is impossible. I gradually started enjoying life in MN through meeting local people, ice skating, going to the Mall of America and the Minnesota State Fair, and participating in campus activities such as Movie Night, job fairs, and Cultural Night.

Last, but not least, I would like to thank a married couple from Hawaii whom I met on the train while traveling to Hiroshima with my mother. It was a few months before studying abroad in Hawaii. We were assuming the married couple was from a foreign country, so my mother told me to talk with them in English since she wanted to see my English level. I could not even say “Hi” at that time because I was not confident enough about my speaking. However, surprisingly, my mother went and started communicating with them using her communication skills including gestures and a little vocabulary. We then knew that they were from Hawaii, and our conversation went on. We decided to go to the Itsukushima Shrine together, took pictures there, and exchanged our email addresses. They also gave us their phone number to be able to call when I need help in Hawaii. It was one of the best memories in my life but also a memory which reminds me to not be afraid of talking with people for the first time. I met them many times in Hawaii, and they had invited me to their home parties, had dinner, and watched college volleyball games together. I was very happy to see them at my graduation and so proud of myself by comparing me at that time when I could not even say “Hi” to them.

Thus, please do not be afraid of speaking English. I gave up my dream of art when I was little and made my goal in life to be able to speak English. HTIC not only made my dream come true, but also gave me an irreplaceable experience. You are in Hawaii now to practice your English and learn its culture. It is okay if you are not good at speaking English because you are in the process of learning. Always believe in yourself and do not give up on improving anything. So do the best of your best!!