Alumna Beatriz Gonon Shares Insights about KCP
KCP graduate Beatriz Gonon shares with us her experiences in the KCP program. Thanks for your insights, Beatriz!
As I sit here in New York City, I wonder what my teachers and friends back in Tokyo are up to. I’m already missing Tokyo’s clean streets, efficient trains, and sales clerks who never failed to greet me with an “irasshaimase!” But what I miss the most about Japan, hands down, are my teachers and friends.
The most beautiful teacher, boss level 3, Konno-sensei! | KCP Flickr
KCP truly has the best staff and teachers, making my study abroad experience hugely memorable. If I ever needed something, Tanaka, Michiko, and Ryuhei were always in the office to help. My teachers were Konno, Hosoi, and Okada. All of them were really friendly and truly dedicated to everyone’s learning. But the teacher who stole my heart was definitely 一番きれいな先生, a.k.a. Konno-sensei. Konno-sensei’s class was never dull; always full of laughter. Don’t get me wrong: of course we still learned, but her unique teaching methods made everything so much fun. Back in NYC, I’ve had a handful of Japanese teachers but none are comparable to KCP’s teachers.
Having dinner with our Korean friend, Jiyoung. | KCP Flickr
Thanks to KCP, I was able to meet many people from all over the U.S., China, Korea, Mexico, and France. Although it was awkward at first, I grew to enjoy talking to the Chinese and Koreans students with my limited Japanese. The Korean girls in my class were great fun to talk to; some days would sometimes find us singing along to Psy’s Gangnam Style. My most memorable experience with my class is when we did the can-can for our speech contest performance. We were all so nervous and embarrassed to perform in front of everyone but in the end, our performance was one of the best!
Summer short-term graduation ceremony. | KCP Flickr
The saddest part of my trip was saying goodbye to my friends and teachers. Although my friends are scattered all over the U.S. and some are still in Tokyo, I’m looking forward to the next time I can see them again!
