In August, 2006, I went to the College of Saint Elizabeth which is located in New Jersey, U.S.A., to study for ten months. During my stay, I met a lot of people. I had valuable experiences that made me realize my identity.

In the U.S., there are so many kinds of people from all over the world. First, there are many Hispanics, people from Latin America who speak Spanish. I met some of those students at the college. It was so interesting to talk with them. When they moved to the U.S., they had a hard time. Some of them were not able to understand English at all. Some had difficulties finding jobs or even got sick due to the new environment. However, they live strongly while enduring such hard situations. One of my friends, who was born and brought up in the U.S., thinks her home country, Mexico, means a lot. Her family cherishes the traditional events and customs. They help people who are trying to live in the U.S. For example, they raise orphans and help people who are not used to speaking English.

My roommate, from Nigeria, told me her family moved to the U.S. two years ago. She thinks her home country and culture are really important. She told me about the poor security and political problems there. She said she wanted to be a doctor to help such underprivileged people. It is not easy to live in an other country. In spite of it, they spend time preciously and never forget their appreciation. Their attitude made me think about my role in a society.

As a result of my experience, I’ll think about how I can help people. I really appreciate the people who gave me the opportunity to take part in this program. Thank you very much.