“As an international student at SPSCC, I’ve faced many obstacles. Not just a language barrier, but I also had no idea how to write papers, involve myself in a community, or make friends in a different country where people speak English fluently and fast,” said Yuho Fujii. “When I was feeling nervous, the community at SPSCC helped me to overcome these obstacles by providing me so many opportunities.”
Yuho is an international student from Nagoya, Japan and in the Government, Public & Nonprofit Administration Pathway at SPSCC. Her interest in international relations began when a UCLA professor visited Nagoya and gave a presentation on world issues.
“I’ve never had that opportunity before, to talk about topics like racial discrimination and the Syrian refugee crisis in English,” said Yuho. “We got to discuss a lot and I think that really impacted my future career goals. Before, I felt like I was only listening to others talk about world issues, but this was the first time I was involved in a discussion about what we could do to help.”
Alongside her studies, Yuho is also a peer tutor at SPSCC’s International Student Services. As a peer tutor, she checks in with other international students and helps plan events that get everyone involved like coffee and conversation and movie nights. Yuho also volunteers for her Japanese class by giving presentations about Japanese culture to other students.
“Communication is really important,” she said. “I understand that people feel more comfortable with a familiar group, but because I moved here I want to get to know people with different backgrounds so I can understand other perspectives and be more open-minded.”
Both her studies and involvement in the community have helped Yuho prepare for a career in helping others. After transferring to a four-year college, Yuho wants to major in International Relations/Politics and hopes to work for a non-governmental organization dedicated to supporting refugees and immigrants in the future.
“I have always wanted to major in International Relations to deepen my understanding of how to resolve world issues, and that’s what brought me here, to the U.S.,” she said. “The support from my family and education throughout my life contribute to who I am and what I want to do in my future.”
Yuho was selected as one of two students from SPSCC who will be recognized at the Board of Trustees meeting on May 10, 2022 at 2:30 p.m. as well as the All-Washington (All-WA) Academic Team Ceremony on May 12, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. The ceremony honors individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to success in the classroom and in the communities in which they live. For more information on the ceremony, visit the college’s All-WA webpage.
Original source can be found here.
