SL Scholarship Testimonials

Year　 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024

Opportunities for Challenges

Michiru JITSUHARA

Petra Christian University, Indonesia

Hi, I am Michiru Jitsuhara, Class of ID27!

I was given the opportunity to participate in a service-learning program in Indonesia. Due to a change in our family's economic situation, my education as the youngest of three siblings was not financially supported, and I was not sure if I wanted to participate in the international service-learning program. However, I had a strong interest in the development field and had heard about the excellence of service-learning for a long time, so I could not give up on the idea of participating in the International Service-Learning Program. That is when I learned about the Service-Learning Scholarship Program.

This scholarship helped me to take on the challenge, and I decided to participate in the program. I was lucky enough to receive the scholarship, and through service-learning, I was able to experience a significant turning point in my life and create unforgettable memories. I am genuinely grateful for the support I received and the opportunity to take on this valuable challenge. In the future, I would like to return the favor I received to others and become someone who can provide them with the same challenging opportunities.

Experiences and Growth opportunities beyond my Imagination

Kyoka KONO

Petra Christian University, Indonesia

I had thought about not applying for the International Service-Learning program because my family would not be able to cover my travel expenses. However, when I heard about the scholarship and the fact that it would cover my travel expenses, which was my biggest concern, I discussed it with my family and decided to apply. I participated in the program in Indonesia, where I experienced a lot more than I had imagined and was given the opportunity to grow. The program in Indonesia gave me the opportunity to experience a sanitary environment and lifestyle that is completely different from Japan, as well as the opportunity to interact with students from various countries outside of Indonesia, which greatly broadened my horizons. I was able to have many other experiences that I will never forget. This scholarship has allowed me to broaden my horizons without missing any opportunities to grow, and I am very grateful for this opportunity.

Pursue your Own Learning

Nayun KIM

Silliman University, Philippines

I spent this summer doing service activities in the Philippines, asking the question, “How should people and society change so that the environment and characteristics that all people are born with do not become barriers to living the life they want? In the three places we visited during our four weeks of activities, we were able to see many of the current situations and social issues that we could only see by actually visiting the places. Not only the service activities, but also the discussions with my buddies from Silliman University and ICU students about their own feelings and social issues were very valuable experiences. Without a doubt, this service activity was an event that deepened my learning and interest and will remain in my heart for the rest of my life.

And this service activity was not realized through my own efforts alone; I feel that it was a meaningful experience because of the support I received from many people, including my professors at ICU, my family, the people at Silliman University, the staff at the activity site, and my past seniors. In this regard, receiving the Service-Learning Scholarship this time allowed me to seize this valuable opportunity and pursue my learning. I would like to express my sincere gratitude.

I am strongly interested in social inclusion, triggered by various events I experienced in my teenage years. In the future, I plan to major in sociology and continue my studies to contribute to society by looking at this service activity from an academic perspective and exploring ways to approach social inclusion. I will make every effort to ensure this service activity will not be limited to this summer's experience.

Learning with the Support of People

Mio TOYODA

Silliman University, Philippines

My name is Mio Toyoda, a second-year undergraduate student. I went to the Philippines this summer on an international service-learning program.

I had been interested in the service-learning program since before I entered ICU, but due to my family's circumstances after enrollment, there was a time when I was not sure if I would be able to continue with my studies. Even though my situation gradually improved, I almost gave up on the idea of going abroad, but then I learned about the SL Scholarship, and thankfully, I was able to receive it.

In the Philippines, I worked at a facility for children who had been separated from their families and in a village of a community that had fled from the disaster area. As it was my first time to even board an airplane, everything was new to me and I was constantly learning and discovering new things every day.

Before my trip, I did not know much about my interests or what I wanted to do in the future, and I was even worried about my impending choice of major. In the fall semester, I am taking classes in psychology and law, which I became interested in through my experience in service activities, and I would like to continue to utilize the liberal arts at ICU to think about creating an environment where all children can grow up healthy from a multifaceted perspective. I am grateful for this valuable and meaningful time and for the SL Scholarship that made it possible.

An Opportunity to gain Perspectives to Explore My Career Direction

Minami SAKAMOTO

University Of Cape Town, South Africa

I grew up in a rural, single-mother household, which sparked my interest in the connection between poverty and education and my study of development studies. However, thanks to this scholarship program, I was able to travel to South Africa, a country in which I was particularly interested. During my activities in South Africa, I was able to visit sites related to various social issues beyond poverty and education, such as colonial history, food distribution in impoverished areas, visits to elementary schools, and environmental education related to biodiversity unique to South Africa. The new questions about how to understand “development” that I gained from these experiences have become important perspectives for me in my studies after returning to Japan and in seeking the direction of my future career. I am grateful to the scholarship program for giving me this precious opportunity, and I would like to continue to deepen my studies using this experience as a starting point.

Irreplaceable Experience

Rise SAIKI

Nagasaki Foundation for the Promotion of Peace & Nagasaki University, Nagasaki Prefecture

This summer, I have been on a service-learning program at the Nagasaki Peace Promotion Association and the Nagasaki University Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition. At the Nagasaki Peace Promotion Association, I mainly learned about the tragedy of the atomic bombing by hearing directly from hibakusha and viewing materials. Although I do not have roots in Hiroshima or Nagasaki, through my activities here, I was able to receive and motivate from the hibakusha the desire that this tragedy must never be repeated. At the Nagasaki University Research Center for Nuclear Abolition, they are researching realistic and practical solutions to the current situation of nuclear arms proliferation, which is far from nuclear abolition. I was able to learn about issues surrounding nuclear weapons through direct instruction from professors and by participating in classes and seminars at Nagasaki University. It is no exaggeration to say that the experience was very stimulating and life-changing, both in terms of learning and my own values, but at first I was going to give up participating in the program if I had not been awarded the scholarship. It was all thanks to the scholarship that I was able to have such an invaluable experience. I am sincerely grateful.