"Being active myself." This was the immediate reply that came back when asked about what approach she takes to university life. "At university, I used the ample time I had effectively to meet as many people as possible and deepen relationships. And I piled up various experiences."

On top of seeing out her university life, Yamamoto had a clear motto of "take action and experience." She passed her AO entrance examination for Chuo University, her first choice. She started a teaching course as a second year student, having classes from first to seventh period every day.

During that time, a guest teacher in the teaching course, who is a junior high school teacher, suggested that she become a volunteer coach for a girls' basketball club in a junior high school. Using her eight years of experience playing basketball at primary, junior high and high school, Yamamoto started coaching basketball in the second half of her second year at the junior high school she was introduced to.

"It was the first time for me to teach students, so it was a valuable experience," says Ms. Yamamoto when talking of how important the training she received through volunteer work was. One thing she says she learnt was, "we are involved with people from various generations when we go out and work, so I felt that it was important to get involved with people from varying generations while at university and communicate with them." She adds, "there were many situations where I had to think from the junior high school students' point of view, and that also led me to expand my own sense of values."

In the summer holidays of her third year, Ms. Yamamoto went to Myanmar with exchange student friends from Myanmar, and interacted with the locals there. "By going to Myanmar, I learnt that there are people who live in different circumstances than I do." Even here, through meeting people and touching a different culture, Ms. Yamamoto expanded her worldview.

In the autumn of her third year, she seriously started job-hunting activities. "I like being involved with people and listening to people's stories," and that was all she wanted to do, so she narrowed down prospective companies and job types, and in May of her fourth year she was offered a sales position in the commercial branch of JR East Japan. "In the job-hunting activities, I had confidence in what I had done at university and felt the importance of speaking in your own words."

At the end of March, immediately prior to starting work, using the contacts she made during university, Ms. Yamamoto went on a short two-week stay to Sydney to brush up her language skills. She was able to realize this trip because she had come into contact with various people. "It is said that the more people you meet, the richer your life. Through my university life, I learned that these words are quite right," she stressed.

"When turning your sights from university life to work, it is important to take action on what interests you yourself. Your experiences become your self-worth, and should be a strong positive in job-hunting activities." There is strength in this message precisely because her message is based on her own experience.

(Kumagai)