First of all, it is through the kindness of the Rotary International that I have the opportunity to study abroad. Because the bulk of my funding is coming from the Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship, I have an obligation to play a certain role. Rotary's main goal is to encourage international understanding through study in another country. I have chosen to study in Japan because its culture is significantly misunderstood by many in my country. Also , there are many Japanese who misunderstand America and its intentions. People fear what they don't understand, so this lack of knowledge can lead to many problems. I intend to eliminate many of the misunderstandings on both sides of the ocean.
The second objective that I stated is studying the current business practices in Japan. I am majoring in accounting with a minor in international business. I think it is obvious that national markets are increasingly dependent on the world economy. American business can no longer ignore the rest of the world. Many of the larger American companies are already doing business in a good number of the countries of the world. Most smaller companies are affected in some way by international affairs. As one of America's bi ggest trading partners, Japan is one of the most important countries for American business people. However, we constantly read in the press about how poorly our companies are doing in Japan. Some people blame an unfair Japanese system, but I fee l that the system is not necessarily unfair, it is just different. Therefore, I hope to study Japanese business and economy through courses at Waseda as well as through personal observation.
I think another important component to my first two goals, is a basic knowledge of Japanese language. Many of the problems that arise in international misunderstandings in business and life in general are a result of miscommunication. A person can not hope to understand a country without understanding its language. It seems that too many Americans feel that English alone is sufficient for the life that they will lead. However, I feel that one language is no longer enough in today's world. Therefore, as part of my general education, I have decided to learn both Spanish and Japanese for proficiency. I enjoy these two languages because of their significant differences from my native language. Furthermore, Spanish and Japanese are the most important languages for American business people who wish to compete on a global playing field.
Finally, I hope to further my personal growth through one year of living in Japan. I am particularly excited about the homestay opportunity offered by the program at Waseda. When I went to Japan in 1993, I had the opportunity to live with a family in eastern Tokyo. I found this arrangement to be superior in terms of the amount that one can learn about Japanese culture. Nobody in the world would argue that Japanese culture is not significantly different from American culture. I see this difference as an opportunity for enlightenment. If a person only knows about one way of living, then he may be happy in his personal life. However, if that same person experiences different cultures and learns a little from each one, then his chances for a happy life are enhanced. I hope to gain a great deal from such extensive and extended exposure to Japanese culture. This experience will probably outlast any of the other learning that I do in Japan.
As you can see, I have put a great deal of thought into my intentions for studying at Waseda University. I have very high expectations for my year abroad. I think it will be a great opportunity for me to further international understanding, study Japanese business and economy, polish my Japanese language ability, and grow as a person. I hope that you can help me achieve each one of these objectives by granting me admission to the International Division of Waseda University.