The Essay: "Why I Want to Teach English to Children in Japan"

I submitted the application! A 500+ word essay was required along with it. Here's what I wrote:

Three people come to mind when I think about who has influenced me most to want to teach English to children in Japan: Jennifer, my best friend in middle and high school; Ms. Laura Bringard, my Japanese teacher in high school; and Cook-sensei, my Japanese teacher in college.



My journey began when I was in the seventh grade. I grew up going to school in Moneterey Park and Montebello—cities with a substantial Asian population. Many of my friends’ parents were immigrants from China, Vietnam, and Japan. I was introduced to the Japanese culture through them and have been fascinated with it ever since. My best friend Jennifer and I started to read manga and anime together and enthusiastically shared our passion with our friends. When I discovered two of my favorite cartoons—Sailor Moon and Pokémon—I used to watch as a kid were from Japan it only fueled my interest.

My desire to live in Japan was sparked during my freshman year in high school. My Japanese teacher, Ms. Bringard, not only taught us the language but taught us about Japan’s food, geography, social norms, family life, traditions, and business practices as well. She loved her experience as a foreign exchange student and encouraged us to immerse ourselves in the culture by one day living there. To this day I explicitly remember her telling the story about her first day in the country. She had just arrived, starving and dying of thirst, but the streets were empty and she had no idea where to go. After wandering around, a woman came out from the corner of a building and showed her inside. Ms. Bringard was so flustered she could not remember how to speak Japanese and was at a loss for words. It turned out to be a tiny restaurant. The woman knew exactly what she needed and served her a bowl of ramen and many glasses of water and refused to accept payment for them. Through the rest of her stay, Ms. Bringard constantly ate at the same restaurant and built a strong friendship with the owners. I have wanted to live in Japan ever since she told us that story.

My interest in teaching began my junior year in college. For the longest time, I had no idea what career path I wanted to choose. My dad is a teacher at Belmont High School, and there has been constant pestering from my relatives on whether or not I wanted to be a teacher like he was, but I always declined them. I still think it funny I changed my mind. During my junior year in college I came to value my education immensely and appreciate what a privilege it is to have educators who truly cared about their students. Many of my professors at Chapman have made an impact on my character in one way or another and helped me realize my own passion to make an impact on others through teaching. Cook-sensei was one of those amazing professors and told me about teaching English abroad in Japan.

Teaching English to children in Japan will help me achieve one of my top goals—to live in another country (specifically Japan!). More importantly, I believe it will be one of the most rewarding experiences I can have. It will help me improve myself as an educator, and open my mind to things I probably cannot even imagine at the moment. This year in Japan will be something I will treasure for the rest of my life.