alumni stories

Alumni Stories No. 22 – Mr. Norimasa Orii

Aki Takada Afghan, Afghanistan, alumni, alumni stories, Japanese language school, refugee, refugee students, refugees, scholarship, Syria, Syrian November 3, 2021

Mr. Norimasa Orii graduated from ICU in 1991, and ICU High School in 1987. He has played a crucial role in JICUF’s scholarship program for Syrian students, the Syrian Scholars Initiative. In 2017, as Program Manager at the Japan Association for Refugees, Mr. Orii helped JICUF establish the Initiative, and has since worked with us to reach out to Syrian students in Turkey, identify eligible students, facilitate their entry to Japan, and support them after arrival. We asked the current Representative Director of Pathways Japan to reflect on his time at ICU and his career.

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Alumni Stories No. 21 – Mr. Yoshito Dobashi

JICUF alumni, alumni stories, development, disability, dorm, Fiji, handbell club, rugby team, second men's dorm, Yoshito Dobashi August 11, 2021

Mr. Yoshito Dobashi graduated from ICU in March 1991. His parents and wife all being ICU alumni, ICU has been a part of Mr. Dobashi’s far beyond graduation. He is currently the chapter president of “ICUICU,” the group of ICU alumni involved in international cooperation. We asked him to reflect on his path from childhood to ICU, and to his current work on disability and development.

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Alumni Stories #20 – Mr. Edward K. Lenci

Aki Takada alumni, alumni stories, Ed Lenci, Edward K. Lenci, international student, kenkyusei, law, New York State Bar Association June 11, 2021

Mr. Edward K. Lenci, who practices law in New York City, studied at ICU as a kenkyusei (research student) from 1985 to 1986. As the incoming Chair of the International Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), he recently wrote about the year he spent in Japan to mark Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We are happy to share this article as part of our “Alumni Stories” series.

2021_5_13 Tim Winant #4 10th class party

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Alumni Stories No.19 Tim Winant – Part 4

Aki Takada alumni, alumni stories, friendship, President Oguchi, Professor Kidder, reunion, Tim Winant, Troyers May 14, 2021

In the final installment of his story, Tim Winant reflects on the friendships he developed at ICU.

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Alumni Stories No. 19 – Tim Winant Part 3

Aki Takada alumni, alumni stories, early days, Fumiko Koide, Iwao Ayusawa, J. Edward Kidder, Maurice Troyer, Tane Takahashi, Tim Winant, Yasuo Furuya April 27, 2021

In Part 3 of his story, Tim Winant writes about the memorable people he met on campus who played a crucial role in shaping ICU in its early years.

2021_4_15 1st mens dorm 1963 Tim w HK student

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Alumni Stories No.19 Tim Winant – Part 2

Aki Takada 1960s, alumni, alumni stories, dorm life, dormitory, first men's dormitory, Jupiter House, Tim Winant April 15, 2021

In Part 2 of his story, Tim Winant writes about the First Men’s Dorm in the 1960s.

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Alumni Stories No. 19 – Tim Winant Part 1

Aki Takada 1960s, alumni, alumni stories, exchange student, JICUF, OYR, Ruth Miller, Tim Winant April 8, 2021

Thomas “Tim” Winant has a long relationship with both ICU and JICUF. In the early 60s, he studied abroad at ICU as an “OYR” (exchange student), and again in the mid-60s as a special student taking an intensive course in Japanese. In the 1980s, he was on the Board of JICUF, and returned to ICU in 1990 to serve as the Assistant to the President and the Dean of International Affairs until 1999. We asked Tim to share his unique story in a series of articles. Here is part 1.

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Alumni Stories No. 18 – Jessica Cork

Aki Takada alumni, alumni stories, career advice, hiroshima, Jessica Cork, JET program, OYR, student, USA April 1, 2021

Ms. Jessica Cork studied at ICU from 1995 to 1996 as an “OYR” (“One Year Regular,” or exchange student) when she was an undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After graduation, she joined the JET program and worked for the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta for over a decade. She is currently Vice President of Community Engagement and Communications in the YKK Corporation of America. Ms. Cork shares career advice based on her experiences with current students and recent graduates.

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Alumni Stories No. 17 – Fusae Nara

Luke Palermo alumni, alumni stories, alumnus, Hofstra September 16, 2020

Ms. Fusae Nara graduated from the College of Liberal Arts in 1983 and the Graduate School of Public Administration in 1985 with a concentration in International Law. We asked her about her story.

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Alumni Stories No. 16 – Mr. Shinichi Hirabayashi

Aki Takada alumni, alumni stories, alumnus, Mitsui & Co., Mitsui & Co. USA Foundation, Mitsui USA April 20, 2020

Mr. Shinichi Hirabayashi graduated from the College of Liberal Arts in 1963 and the Graduate School of Public Administration in 1965. He was the President of the ICU Alumni Association of the Americas in the early 2000s and currently resides in Connecticut. We are excited to share his story.