(left side of the photo) (right side of the photo)―So, your new life had begun in America. ―Any message to the young people living in Hawaii?―What are your goals for the future?9IITAIATISMWednesday, August 25, 2021A day in the classroom with her students. She always smiles with students At the graduation ceremony surrounded by her studentsShe organized an interaction event with a school from JapanActively teaching Japanese at the school for girls with more than 100 years of history.The Shinro Shimbun Hawaii EditionBorn and raised in Japan, Nami Grafia plays an active role as a Japanese language teacher at Sacred Hearts Academy, a catholic girls' school in Oahu Hawaii. We asked Ms. Grafia about her career path and her messages for young learners in Hawaii who are considering studying in Japan.was born in Tokyo and grew up in Chiba Prefecture. When I was a highschool student, I loved sports and played basketball. Looking back, when I was about to graduate from high school, I didn't have any idea what to do for my future. I was having a hard time finding what I wanted to do but pressure and thought of, “I had to do something after graduation,” made me decide to study sports I was into the most at that time. I went to a sports education institute studying recreation leadership and sports, taught swimming to children, and worked as an instructor at a sports gym. At this time also, I spent my days in search of something better. Then I heard the field of sports research was more advanced in the U.S. My desire to go to the U.S. gradually grew stronger. My curiosity of other countries grew and grew and made me decide to go to the United States. But at that time, my English was very questionable. First, I enrolled in a language school in San Diego, California, and studied English from the basics. In retrospect, I think this was the most important move for my life and a big first step to finding what I wanted to do.he first few years in America, I was very much immersed in learning English. I studied intensively in language school, and I enrolled in junior college after 6 month majoring in English. Money was tight, so I worked part-time as a teacher to pay for my school. I graduated from junior college with an associate's degree in English and went on to attend a four-year university. Unlike Japan, universities in the U.S., students generally can decide or change their field of study after they enter the university. When I first came to the U.S. I was thinking of studying sports; however, I developed a strong interest in psychology and decided to major in psychology thinking I would be able to help more people. Studying psychology opened the door to a career supporting people who were having difficulty dealing with learning. After graduation, I worked at University of California Diego Medical Center and helped with clinical trials for people with ADHD, learning disabilities, and other mental illnesses. Since then, I sought opportunities to work as a teacher to help children with learning difficulties and other mental health problems. I wanted to learn more about them to provide better support; therefore, I enrolled in a graduate school program while working in the field.fter about 5 years of obtaining a master's degree, in 2011, I moved to Hawaii and have been working at Sacred Hearts Academy since 2015.●ProfileBorn in Tokyo. After graduating from a vocational school in Japan, went to the U.S. at 21 years old. Learned English at language school and junior college in San Diego. After graduating from junior college, entered a 4-year college and majored in psychology. After graduating from college, got a job at UC San Diego Medical Center and engaged in clinical trials. While working at the center, studied at graduate school and got a master's degree. Moved to Hawaii in 2011. Currently working as a Japanese language teacher at Sacred Hearts Academy. Current Vice-president of The Hawaii Association of Teachers of Japanese.am currently a Japanese teacher at Sacred Hearts Academy.Sacred Hearts Academy is one of the largest Catholic girls' schools in Hawaii with over 100 years of history. The school is located in a residential area of Kaimuki, about 15 minutes from Waikiki. It is an integrated school that provides education from Junior Kindergarten (3 to 4 years old) to Grade 12, (third year of high school).he school opens at 8:00 a.m. I would be at school by 7:30 a.m. and would be in class until 3:00 p.m. The work is very busy and demanding but at the same time, rewarding and fulfilling every day.eeing students grow is the most rewarding s for my future goals, in addition to providing Japanese language education, I would like to train as many people as possible who can be active in helping people with global perspectives. n our current society, we need to solve problems on a global scale. We must have a global perspective and work together with people around the world. It would be wonderful if we could nurture human resources that can cooperate with people around the world to face issues together. In order to achieve this, classes should not be contained only in my classroom. I try to provide classes that allow students to go beyond the classroom that allow students to acquire a broad perspective with the acquisition of Japanese language. any of us go to college in the country where we are familiar with. I believe that studying at a university in a foreign country is also a great opportunity to grow as a person. I myself studied abroad in the U.S. , and I broadened my horizons and grew a lot as a person. In Hawaii, in particular, there are many tourists from Japan. I think there are many wonderful things to be gained from studying in Japan. If you are interested in studying in Japan, please be brave and take on the challenge.To search what I want to do, moved to America after finishing vocational education in Japan―Ms. Grafia, Please look back on your path.Implementing online exchange with schools in Japan!Engaging classes to help students grow!―What is your current job part of my job. There are like?many students who are learning Japanese for the first time who end up speaking Japanese semi fluently in 4 to 5 years. When their Japanese improves as such, it is a joyful and rewarding moment to witness. Their growth, maturity and confidence give me motivation to come to school everyday.Written in two languagesI want to help students grow into global citizens who solve problems from global perspectives.Ms. Nami GrafiaWith the joy of witnessing students' growth as a Japanese language teacher,
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