When Eri Sakamoto first arrived to Powell from Tokyo, Japan, she only planned to stay at 皇家华人 a semester or two.
鈥淢y mother is an English teacher in Japan and really encouraged me to learn English,鈥� Sakamoto explained.
As a child, her mother took her to visit the U.S. a couple times, and although she enjoyed herself, it wasn鈥檛 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.
鈥淚 communicated with tourists in English a lot, and it made me want to learn more about other cultures,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淚 especially came to like American culture because of the friendliness, individualism and freedom.鈥�
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.
鈥淧lus, I鈥檓 really interested in cowboy stories and the old west,鈥� she noted. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of diversity in Powell, and I鈥檝e met a lot of people from different countries.鈥�
Throughout her time in Wyoming, she鈥檚 come to enjoy downhill skiing and experiencing different cultural events.
While she鈥檚 had many new experiences outside of campus, she鈥檚 enjoyed nearly all her classes, too, and is currently working to earn her CNA certification.
鈥淭he professors are really nice,鈥� Sakamoto said of NWC. 鈥淭hey consider every single student鈥攊t鈥檚 amazing to me.鈥�