Today, English is one of the most common languages used by people all over the world. Without English skill such as speaking, reading, listening, or writing, people may encounter difficulties in business, feel awkward during discussion at class, or cannot enjoy an overseas travel. English is supposed to be a tool to survive in an English-speaking world, not a goal. In Japan, we begin to learn English as soon as we enter junior high school, and continue to learn it until we graduate from high school. For the Japanese, however, English is not a tool but a goal for the entrance examination to colleges or universities, and so most students stop learning it after getting into school, leading to the decline of entering the world of Japanese people.

Like most Japanese people, English was just a goal for me. However, an encounter with one English teacher started me studying English hard, and my studies guided me out into the world. I was 17 years old when I first met her. Before meeting her, English was not a second language for me but an unreadable code. I was so lazy that I didn’t try to understand English even as a goal for entrance examination. Luckily, however, I met her, and now I’m here in the US thanks to her. My friends were always complaining that her class was boring, or that she was not good at teaching. But, for me, it was not true. I really liked her class, and made every possible effort to get high score of English quiz and test. One of the reasons why I studied hard in her class was that she was eager to teach us. But, more than that, I studied very hard because she was very much my type despite being around 40 when I was only 17. Sure, I had impure motives, but I passed the entrance examination with a high English score because of her.

I was planning to proceed to a school when I passed the exam, but my father told me, “How about going to school in the US? In your generation, English is essential to survive current globalized world, and you can improve your ability if you went there. Thankfully you have the basis of English.” Before that, I had never thought about going overseas. Additionally, I didn’t have friends who had been to schools overseas around me. Nevertheless, I made a decision promptly, “That sounds exciting! Ok, I’ll go there and do my best.” Something had been changing inside me since I met the teacher, and I think the offer from my father would not have come if I hadn’t met her. It was the moment that the pieces of the puzzle began to fit together and draw the pathway to my future.

My life in the US began in August 2010. While spending time in the school, I met a Russian girl who was six years older than me. Because she was older than me, her thoughts and attitude were mature compared to me, and having such an adult girlfriend stimulated me to make greater efforts on studies. At that time, I was not sure what I wanted to do as my career, so I just put all my effort to study hard to get high GPA, and wanted to work as soon as I graduated. “If I worked and became adult, I could associate with her on equal terms.” At least those were my thoughts. As the time of job hunting and graduation approached, my worries about the future got bigger. At that time, I was taking care of just myself, and didn’t pay attention to my girlfriend. In the meantime, she went back to her hometown, and the distance, not only actual but also mind distance, between she and me was separating away. Eventually, we ended our relationship, and began to walk on each way separately. After breaking up, I continued to study hard, but my initial objective to study hard was to be independent and to get my ex girlfriend to see me as a mature adult, so I gradually lost my sight for the future. “What do I really want to do for the future?” I was always thinking of it. Thinking such a thing, I often remembered days with ex girlfriend. Her dream was to pursue Master’s degree. When I first heard about that, she was 27 years old, and it was a bit surprising for me because Japanese people pursue Master’s degree right after they graduate from their undergraduate schools, and it means that 27 was too late to pursue Master’s degree in Japan. However, it’s just perception and stereotype for those who live in small country like Japan. When looking overseas, students without any job background are a minority, and most students come to graduate school with some job experience. Then I realized that looking for jobs was not only way and that there were options to go to graduate school to pursue what I wanted to learn more. As soon as I realized that, I talked to my father about it. He said, “It’s your life. If you want to do it, do it when you have time to do it. Don’t worry about money.” I thanked my parents and decided to pursue a Master’s degree in the US. And now, I’m still here continuing on my journey.

If I hadn’t encountered the English teacher, if my father hadn’t offered me to go to school overseas, and if I hadn’t met my ex girlfriend at school, I would not be here now. From this experience, I realized that there are opportunities to change your life everyday. For me, it was people whom I had met: My English teacher taught me the importance to learn English as a second language, my father gave a chance to use English overseas, and my ex girlfriend showed me the path to the further education in the US. I’m sure my encounters with new people at MIIS will take me in new, unexpected direction.