YCE Reflection
The past nine days have been an incredible learning experience, and I am grateful to have been a part of Ashoka Japan’s YCE.
Though I am passionate about social entrepreneurship at the moment, I now realize the importance of being more open to other options and pursuing what I enjoy in the future should my interests change. In retrospect, I feel like I had set myself a narrow definition for what I wanted to pursue in the future. Through this trip—particularly as a result of interactions with students at Swarthmore — I realized the power that people hold when they pursue what they want, regardless of whether or not if it fits the mold of “social entrepreneur”. The students were so energetic and full of joy because they were doing what they loved, and they radiated this uplifting energy that in turn made me happy and fulfilled as well. Regardless of my future occupation, I want to become someone who can spread this kind of positivity and uplift those around me.
As I approach college, I want to be open to more possibilities and to explore fields I haven’t before and embrace changes in my passions. Though I will continue to be heavily invested in social issues (gender equality especially), I think it would be valuable to pursue various other paths that can lead to social change that are not necessarily strictly through social entrepreneurship.
In addition, exploring New York City reminded me of the power of inclusivity. The city was filled with people from all walks of life in the ‘land of immigrants’. Though there is still much work to do, it was heartening to see the strength in diversity and of embracing cultural interaction and exchange.
Thank you to the US-Japan Council, ANA, Ashoka Japan staff, Swarthmore College faculty/students, and our trip leaders for making this wonderful and enriching exchange program possible. Thank you to my fellow YVers — Kinari, Mayuko, Uruka, Genta, and Anji — for making this trip so fun, valuable, and memorable. I feel so lucky to learn from you in so many different ways and appreciate you inspiring me on a daily basis to continue growing and improving. I am endlessly grateful.
