When I was in sixth grade, I took part in an overseas volunteer program together with my mother, delivering supplies to poor children in Azerbaijan. I saw with my own eyes the unfairness of people being forced to suffer from war and poverty just because of where they were born. From my frustration at not having been able to do anything about it then was born my desire to find work that engages with international issues. People who work at the United Nations and similar organizations may be better placed to work toward fundamental solutions, but as I want to be able to provide assistance directly to people whom I can see in difficulties, I set myself to become a nurse who is able to work overseas. I decided to study at Okayama University when I found out that I could study with a view to working overseas by taking the Special Course for Global Human Resource Development as a minor subject.
 While I was a student, amid my busy life studying and doing practical training to become a nurse, I was able to take part twice in month-long international internships. In the internship with the NPO Japan Heart in which I participated as a second-year student, I was sent to a medical center in Cambodia run by that organization. My work included not just medical activities, including observing operations, washing medical instruments, and helping bathe newborn babies, but also cleaning and laundry to keep the medical environment in order. In Japanese hospitals, we take a clean environment for granted; in Cambodia the person who noticed that something needed doing, like cleaning, was the one who had to do it. I realized that even limited cleaning and laundry indirectly support medical practice, and learned that every type of work is important in order to maximize the performance of medical staff.
 While sharing medical knowledge with local staff, when I saw their situation I was aware of the difficulty of understanding their viewpoint when passing on knowledge, rather than imposing the Japanese viewpoint. I consulted senior nurses working there about my own future, and was advised that if I waited until I felt fully qualified before going overseas I would end up not going at all. They taught me that what is important is the attitude of always trying to learn something new and the ability to make decisions.
 After graduation, I decided that I would work as a nurse in Japan for three years, after which I would definitely go overseas, and chose to work at Okayama University Hospital, which has a good educational framework. The first year, nothing seemed to go as planned; this was the worst year of my life, but thanks to the support of colleagues, senior nurses, and my family I managed to get through it. Every year I had more opportunities to teach younger nurses, and rather than supervising them strictly, I tried to notice when they were finding something difficult and put a word in.
 At the end of November 2021, I left Okayama University Hospital and took a job as a nurse and project member of the Cambodian medical center where I had done my internship as a student. As well as my nursing tasks, such as assisting with operations, I will also be working with a donation app that gives information on how patients who have been helped are doing. Depending on local demand, I also hope to be involved in popularizing the use of Maternal and Child Health Handbooks. My aim is to provide support so that the people around me can receive medical treatment with peace of mind, irrespective of language or culture.
 My attitude has always been to embrace challenges avidly, as I would far rather regret having done something than regret not having done it. What I have achieved has been thanks to my supportive family and friends, and to having studied at Okayama University with its amazing opportunities for learning. I really hope that if anyone who reads this has something they think they want to do, they will go ahead and give it a go. Although it may not be easy to keep going or to face new challenges, the landscape that awaits you is one that only people who take the first step will ever see.

As of January 2022