Posted: August 29, 2018
When Eri Sakamoto first arrived to Powell from Tokyo, Japan, she only planned to stay at »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË a semester or two.
“My mother is an English teacher in Japan and really encouraged me to learn English,” Sakamoto explained.
As a child, her mother took her to visit the U.S. a couple times, and although she enjoyed herself, it wasn’t until later she decided she wanted to come back.
After graduating university in Japan and earning her degree in international studies, Sakamoto gained valuable managerial experience that sparked her interest in something new.
“I communicated with tourists in English a lot, and it made me want to learn more about other cultures,” she recalled. “I especially came to like American culture because of the friendliness, individualism and freedom.”
Although Sakamoto spent a lot of time conversing with others at her jobs in Japan, she desired to improve her speaking skills even more. It was this pivotal moment that she knew she wanted to come back to the U.S., so she began applying at different agencies that would introduce her to various colleges throughout the country.
After initially being introduced to NWC, she was told that Powell is a small town, and it gets very cold in the winter. Fortunately, she has always preferred colder weather after spending time with her grandparents who live in northern Japan, where there tends to be colder temperatures and frequent snowfall.
“Plus, I’m really interested in cowboy stories and the old west,” she noted. “There’s a lot of diversity in Powell, and I’ve met a lot of people from different countries.”
Throughout her time in Wyoming, she’s come to enjoy downhill skiing and experiencing different cultural events.
While she’s had many new experiences outside of campus, she’s enjoyed nearly all her classes, too, and is currently working to earn her CNA certification.
“The professors are really nice,” Sakamoto said of NWC. “They consider every single student—it’s amazing to me.”