By Fatimata Ndiaye & Halie Best

In this week's, Where in the World is Miami Wednesday, we meet Tenen Fukunishi, a junior international student from Japan. He's majoring in Psychology.

 

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Tenen Fukunishi. I am a transfer and exchange student from Japan. I am a Junior, but this is my first semester at Miami University. I am majoring in Psychology. What I crave most now is Japanese food!

How did you get to know about Miami University and what made you choose it?

My home university, Kansaigaidai University in Japan has a partnership with Miami University, offering me the chance to earn two degrees from both universities. This is how I got to know about Miami. I decided to take advantage of the program and come to Miami University because I thought that Miami University would offer me the best education out of all the other options. Now I believe my choice was correct.

What has been your most memorable experience(s) at Miami University?

As I said above, this is the first semester for me, so I have not experienced a lot, but watching a football game has been a very memorable experience. Next fall break, I am going on a backpacking trip, so I’m very excited about it.

What has been the biggest difference between your home country and the U.S.?

Everything is big in the US! For example, during my first few weeks, the campus was so big to me that I had to use Google Maps to go anywhere on campus. At my Japanese university, that had never happened.

What has been the biggest similarity between your home country and the U.S.?

I am sorry but I have not found any similarity between these two countries. Let me know if you know any similarity!

What organizations are you involved with on campus, and why?

I belong to the Japanese Language Table (JLT) now because I understand the difficulty that people go through when learning a second language and I want to do help these people.

What does Love & Honor mean to you?

Love & Honor is a way to make our lives glorious. If I communicate with someone with love, then he/she will give his/her love back to me. If I treat someone with honor, then he/she would treat me with honor. If each of us does that, everyone can be happy. I believe Love & Honor represent glorious values to our lives.

What do you like to do for fun?

I like outdoor activities.

What is your favorite place to eat on campus?

Maple Street! Maple street is the nearest dining hall from my dorm, so I always eat there. My favorite food in the dining hall is stir-fry with Teriyaki sauce, because it reminds me of Japanese food.

How has Miami’s focus on a liberal arts-based education helped you?

I think everything in this world has at least two dimensions and by seeing each dimension, people can understand everything more deeply. The liberal arts-based education makes it possible to do that. Thanks to the liberal arts-based education, I can discover a new perspectives that I probably could not find without it, and I can understand my major, Psychology, more deeply.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering pursuing their education at Miami University?

The best thing about Miami University that I can say based on my experience is that the university fully supports its students. When I came here, I was so worried about many things like how to make friends or study well because the environment around me had completely changed. However, Miami provided me with numerous chances to socialize as well as offering me me many support services to successfully study. These include getting an academic adviser, and having access to both the writing and tutoring centers. Thanks to those, now there is nothing for me to worry about and I can focus on what I want to do. So, if you are considering studying at Miami University, nothing should stop you from doing so!

 

Catch us next week as we continue to travel around the world to feature the amazing opportunities that Miami students are taking and the experiences our alumni have had since graduating!

---

Would you or someone you know want to be featured in a future Where in the World is Miami Wednesday?

Submit a Story