Three Japanese University Students Selected for the TOMODACHI Sumitomo Corporation Scholars Program
On June 24, 2014, leaders, supporters, and professors from the TOMODACHI Initiative, Sumitomo Corporation, the Study Abroad Foundation, Keio University, and Tohoku University joined together at the American Center in Japan to award and celebrate the recipients of the 2014 TOMODACHI Sumitomo Corporation Scholars Program study abroad scholarships.
Representing a wide array of academic interests, and dedicated to a diverse and essential set of personal goals, the scholarship recipients, Kazunari Tanabe from Keio University, Yukako Hirakawa from Keio University, and Ayaka Ogita from Tohoku University, pledged to embody the kakehashi spirit, and serve as cultural connectors between the U.S. and Japan. Together in their understanding of the importance of educational support and opportunity for the next generation of Japanese leaders, TOMODACHI Executive Director Laura Abbot, Sumitomo Corporation Representative Director Yasuyuki Abe, and U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section Assistant Attachè Jeff Adler collectively offered advice, congratulations, and perspective to the program’s first scholarship recipients. Reflecting upon his own experience living abroad in the United States, Mr. Abe stressed the importance of “supporting individuals who want to reach and learn global standards,” while expressing the desire to meet with the 2014 scholars upon their return to Japan to learn about their cultural and educational experiences.
Following an optimistic and high-spirited declaration of the program’s present success and future promise, Abbot conveyed excitement about the partnership with both the Sumitomo Corporation and the scholars moving forward. Welcoming the 2014 scholars into the TOMODACHI Generation, both Abbot and Adler challenged the scholars to “follow [their] dreams” and “gain new experiences” while studying abroad in the United States.
The 2014 scholarship recipients, motivated and uplifted by the advice and guidance of the event’s speakers, proceeded to excitedly share their own comprehensive visions and goals that they seek to achieve as a part of the 2014 TOMODACHI Sumitomo Corporation Scholars Program, and beyond. Yukako Hirakawa, headed to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, illustrated her ambitions to be an example of U.S.-Japan connectivity, and her longing to “inform images of both Japan and the United States through journalism.” Ayaka Ogita, bound for a year abroad at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, vowed to commit herself to better understand the mentalities and histories of American and Japanese people, in order to facilitate connections and further her own future. The final scholar to speak, Kazunari Tanabe, showcased focus and an appreciative spirit as he demonstrated his desire to gain understanding of economic systems, institutions, and global models while studying abroad at Carnegie Mellon University.
An environment of support, excitement, and opportunity pervaded throughout the evening, as the globally-minded students garnered tips, advice, and suggestions for their U.S. college lives and academic careers. Aiming to flourish as representatives of the Sumitomo Corporation’s commitment to global educational support and the TOMODACHI Initiative’s efforts to deepen and strengthen U.S.-Japan relations, the 2014 TOMODACHI Sumitomo Corporation scholars engendered a collective expectation of long-term success and achievement amongst the evening’s guests.
