Kanako Nakarai
Kanako Nakarai, a native of Tokyo, Japan, is a rising senior at Boston College in the USA majoring in psychology and education. Kanako came to Payap University during the Spring 2009 semester to study in the International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership (IPSL) Program run in conjunction with the Thai and Southeast Asian Studies Program. Kanako had the following to say about her study abroad experience at Payap:
I absolutely loved my time here! I chose to study abroad in Thailand because I wanted to work with children and communities in need while immersing myself in a country outside my comfort zone where I could grow into a more accepting, worldly person. I found the International Partnership for Service Learning and Leadership program and was instantly drawn to it, as it combined academic studies in the classroom setting along with service work with local communities in need.
At Payap I gained a solid understanding of Thai culture and society through enrolling in the following courses: Thai Studies, Thai language, Ethnic Minorities in Northern Thailand, and the IPSL "Institutions of Thai Society" class. As part of the IPSL program, I taught English three times a week at Wat Don Chan, a school for hill tribe children. Through the combination of academic study and volunteer service, I started to understand on a more personal level the complexity and struggles surrounding the issue with ethnic minority groups in Northern Thailand. Like all other social problems in Thailand, I now realize the interrelatedness and complexity of these issues—in order to understand a single problem, one must comprehend the various ways it is impacted and connected to other issues in society.
I hope to come back to Chiang Mai in the near future and work more closely with local communities, being the help that is needed. My experience here at Payap and in Chiang Mai has reassured my passion to work with children and the happiness that comes with helping others.
June 7, 2009