SAF has had a longstanding partnership with the UCLA Extension program! This department of the school offers its own course catalog that guarantees students a spot in classes on a wide variety of subjects. You can also enroll in main-campus UCLA undergraduate courses. It's a great program we're proud to collaborate with and bring to students all over the world!
Can you share a favorite memory or story from your time studying abroad?
While I was abroad, I joined a local parkour competition 3 different times. I got 4th place twice before placing 3rd place and earning my place on the podium.
I made tons of friends who were Parkour players. We met twice a week to train together.
One thing I'm especially proud of is that I held a Parkour workshop for students. A teacher at UCLA asked and pushed me towards hosting it. It was my first time teaching Parkour to somebody in my life, and it was especially challenging since I needed to speak English only! It was difficult, but very fun and great experience.
How did living in a different culture change your perspective on life or academics?
While living in California, I lived in an apartment I shared with another person. This was my first time sharing a living space with somebody other than my family.
I was a little nervous about it, but fortunately, my roommate was a really good guy, and I didn’t have any troubles with him.
What I did experience was a very different lifestyle! Even small things like table manners, and how they made and ate food. It gave me a different perspective and newfound values.
What challenges did you face while studying abroad, and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge was giving presentations to many people. I took a lot of opportunities to give presentations about my ideas and lead workshops.
This was completely new for me. My whole life in Japan, there were few times I needed to speak in front of many people. So this required hard work for me at first.
However, I learned I could overcome the fear and hesitation with presentations little by little. In the end, I got a lot of chances to speak in front of people even outside of school. It made my confidence a lot better.
Were there any specific professors or courses that left a lasting impact on you?
Yes, there were. It was one of my teachers who gave me the opportunity to hold my Parkour workshops. She knew about Parkour, and when I introduced myself in the first semester, she was immediately interested in my Parkour career. She asked for permission from the school to hold a workshop and for me to lead it. It was her proposal being accepted that led to my my first coaching experience, something I'll never forget.
How did studying abroad shape your personal growth?
The experiences of studying abroad made me confident in speaking in front of many people, and it gave me good practice in making friends. Whenever I made friends before studying abroad, I always waited until somebody talked to me. But for the first time in my life, I could go up to strangers to make a friend myself.
In what ways did your study abroad experience influence your career path?
I went to a Parkour gym in San Jose with my friends. I met a man who was running the gym and trained with him. 3 years later, he texted me “We're looking for a new athlete for our Parkour brand. I want to offer you the spot as our next sponsored athlete.” So, I then became a Parkour brand's athlete. The brand is pretty famous, and they're still one of my sponsors. It's because of my study abroad experience that I connected with my first sponsor in my Parkour career.
Are there any specific skills you gained from studying abroad that you use in your current job?
Holding workshops and teaching tricks and giving tips to foreign Parkour players! Teaching them skills in English is useful in my current job when training foreign people. After study abroad, it's a lot easier for the words to come out and they come to me suddenly and quickly.
