Two years ago I wrote about Yeshwini applying to go to Japan to attend ISAK (International School of Asia, Karuizawa) a summer school program in Japan that emphasizes diversity, creativity and leadership. Fortunately, she was able to attend this past summer and she shared some of her experiences with us. Let’s see what she has to say!
“Hello my friends at She is the First…Thank you for asking about my trip. I was so excited to be the first one in my family to ever travel on a plane. I was so excited to travel on a plane and nervous because I was traveling alone!”
Yeshwini really enjoyed her time in Japan, and made the most of her ISAK experience. She immersed herself in the culture, explored new academic topics and made friends from all over the world.
“Japan is a really awesome country. I could relate parts of the culture to the Indian culture. I was so excited to meet children from all over the world at the ISAK camp in Kaurizawa. The student body consisted of children from the United States, Japan, Indonesia, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Palestine and the Philippines. I really enjoyed getting to know their cultures and backgrounds.”
Her classroom experience at ISAK helped shape her future goals (goals that involve She’s the First!):
“At the camp I studied subjects like Asian studies, Japanese music, international negotiation, leadership and farming. I am really interested in supporting women’s right and education in the future. I will join She is the First. In order to do this I have to be a leader. I learned many ways to be a good leader and overcome hardships. I will remember this forever.”
And her favorite class was a real-life international negotiation simulation bridging technology, education and international relations. I would have loved to attend this class too!
“My favorite class in the camp was international negotiation. In this class we focused on the conflict between North and South Korea. We were divided into teams and through computers we had to negotiate with different countries to solve this conflict. It was really impressive to see the way different people view the topic.“
And the summer school wasn’t all work and no play. There were plenty of extra-curriculars Yeshwini took part in.
“The most exciting part was the extracurricular activities. I got to teach dance to all the children. I really enjoyed teaching my friends Bollywood dances, Shakira and Hip-hop. On the last day of camp we put together a big performance and everyone loved it.”
In addition to sharing her culture with some of her new friends, Yeshwini was able to explore her surroundings.
“We were able to go hiking on Mt. Kanotu next to the active volcano Mt. Asoma. Though it was tiring, I enjoyed it and learned a lesson of life. Our life is in the shape of a mountain. To get to the top we have to face many obstacles on the way. Farming was also fun. We had to make a juice using all the herbal plants on the farm. It tasted really good.”
And here are some final, closing thoughts from Yeshwini.
“I enjoyed my 10 days at camp. Every night I was more eager and excited about what I was going to learn the next day. I miss the camp, but I was very happy to see my friends and family in India when I got back. These ten days will be the one of the most memorable events of my life.”
What do you think of Yeshwini’s experience? Have you ever had the opportunity to travel to another country to further your education?