KIMURA Hitomi | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

By participating in the Service Learning Program, I was able to improve my language abilities through English studies, university lectures, internships and many more activities. Furthermore, I believe I became a better communicator and a more independent person. In particular, the hardships I encountered during the internship – such as differences in culture and understanding – encouraged me to become more pro-active in communicating. For example, I personally sought out my supervisors to have a clear understanding of the work setting and goals. I feel that as a new member of working society, the communication skills I acquired during my time abroad will be invaluable for me to collaborate effectively with my co-workers and clients. For example, the ability to consider matters from another person’s perspective when exchanging opinions. With this, I believe I will be able to build strong interpersonal relationships. Moreover, the company which I interned at constantly required independence. By having a sense of purpose and being proactive, I feel I could broaden my knowledge as well as the range of work to be involved in. The experiences I gained and people I met during my time abroad are irreplaceable and will serve as resources I can rely on as I look at career prospects. From now on, I intend to do everything I can so that I can reach an environment where I can make use of my language abilities.