By Nora Garraty | 2023-24 Global Classmates Summit Participant
At the start of my Global Classmates experience, I was still applying to college. Every morning, I’d log into my account and check the new posts and replies left by the Japanese students overnight. It was so special getting to learn not only what we had in common, but the unique parts of their lives. And getting to have these interesting, open-ended conversations gave me the opportunity to not just learn new things but also practice my Japanese. It made me want to live in Japan even more. By the end of the Global Classmates Exchange Program, I had already accepted my admission to Temple University, Japan Campus.
Then, over the summer after my senior year of high school, I participated in the Summit. The Summit took everything special about the Exchange Program and multiplied it with sprinkles on top. I was able to build closer relationships with the people I was talking to and dive deeper into everyone’s unique stories.
Early on in the Summit, every participant gave a presentation on a topic of their choosing. On top of helping me improve my presenting ability, this activity provided a chance for us to learn about what is important to everyone else. School usually doesn’t have this sort of flexibility so this experience was really special.
Also, hearing multiple guest speakers discuss topics that we’re passionate about and detailing their career journey which may look very similar to ours in the future was immensely helpful and inspiring. Before the Summit, I never thought much about my place in building US-Japan relations but now, I believe I could and will contribute to it.
My favorite aspect of the Summit was the community. I was able to make great friends and the KAC staff helped foster a fun and healthy environment for us to interact in. I loved our group discussions and pair activities; it felt like productive fun. And I loved staying on the Zoom call even after the session ended to keep talking with the other participants. I stayed after every session and it was so much fun playing games and just talking about whatever. It made us feel like more than just acquaintances.
There were some difficulties along the way with communicating, because of both language and culture differences, but we all improved and are better for it. We made sure to be patient, keep an open mind, and assume best intentions. These lessons will stick with us and help us when we engage in cross-cultural communication in the future.
Finally, even after the Summit concluded, it still remains an important part of my life. Not only do I hold onto what I got out of the experience, but I also stay in touch with the friends I made. After arriving in Japan, I got to meet one of the friends I made in person. We sang karaoke, walked around different areas of Tokyo, and got dinner together. It was really special that I already had a friend in Tokyo when I arrived and that we got to do all of that after only meeting virtually. I feel like Global Classmates as a whole has simultaneously made the world feel bigger for me while also making me more connected to the world.
I look back on my Global Classmates experience fondly and am going to stay on this path of US-Japan relations in the future, as it has inspired me to do so.
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