Miyoko Kuzutani

When I was nineteen, I studied English and American cultures at Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute (MFWI) in Spokane, a branch campus of Mukogawa Women's University in Hyogo, Japan. The program had a weekend homestay program. Many generous families volunteered to welcome us to their house for free and listened to our 'poor' English patiently. A family invited more than ten students for dinner after singing at church. I was impressed by their generous behavior. 

 

The friendly culture has not changed after decades and I think I was right to come back here to study again. There are great colleges in this mid-sized city, and Gonzaga is one of the leading universities among them.  

he Gonzaga ESL program, has a great reputation and is accredited by CEA. At the Gonzaga ESL program, all teachers had an MA in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) degree. All of teachers were aware of cultural differences between the U.S. and the student's host country, for me it was Japan. Classes were hard but worth it to study in academic programs later. The staff had helped me for my visa paper work perfectly, so I could focus on my study. 

Before entering Gonzaga COML program, I also attended Spokane Community College (SCC) and Eastern Washington University (EWU), to seek my ideal future degree. At SCC I worked at the Global Education Office and met great staff there and they became my role models as international student advisors/recruiters.  I met students from several countries and held the International Expo to establish cultural understanding between domestic and international students.  

An International student's recruiter talks to 

young students from all over the world. The recruiter often goes abroad and  appeal young students and their parents to study in the U.S. Apparently, the career requires strong communication skills including interpersonal, intercultural, and public speaking. Using marketing skills, such as appealing myself and a school effectively by using social networks, are essential.

 

In addition, to welcome and help students to be successful at their study, the recruiter/ advisor should have leadership skills to solve various problems between school and students.  The Gonzaga COML program trains me those essential skills to choose this career, and I will do an internship at a college in Spokane in near future. 

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I had studied at various levels and schools in Spokane including ESL, community college, university, and now at the graduate level. I had experienced culture shock, home-staying troubles, and lifestyle differences between home and U.S.  I am sure that all those struggles would help students to be a global citizen someday. I can understand problems that international students face and would like to help them with all my knowledge and experience, in the future. 

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