What I see as an opportunity now, was certainly not an opportunity when I was at ISS.  My 2 years spent at ISS was a struggle as I was never interested in learning foreign languages. However, I have come to value and appreciate those 2 years spent at ISS because it made me realise that learning foreign languages and the exposure to foreign cultures opens up so many opportunities for me personally.  Studying at ISS certainly changed a young shy girl from a provincial city in Japan,  to someone who is active, independent, and loves traveling. The best part of my time at ISS are the international friends that I have made and whom I still keep in touch with now. These friends inspire me in so many ways.

What I have become today is in part very much due to the experiences and influences which I was exposed to at ISS. The benefits that I have personally received is the reason why I decided to enrol my two older children at ISS’ Spring School holiday programme recently in March 2018. Not only did they have the opportunity to study English at Spring School, but they manage to make many new multi-national friends and they enjoyed themselves thoroughly.