By Isabelle Lao - Ngo

While getting off work after a busy afternoon, the last thing I expected to see when I checked my emails was a notification asking if I could join the Spring 2023 On Your Mark camp in Fukuoka, Japan. With so many unanswered questions, I immediately responded “Yes.” 

Coming into the program a bit later than the other overseas counselors, I remember struggling to catch up. I had a general idea of the program’s goals, but before I knew it, it was time to fly to Fukuoka.

Now, this was my first time in Japan, and I had only heard of Fukuoka once because a student of mine from the 2022 Online GEC lived there. I had no idea what to expect from the camp. To be honest I was still a bit confused about the program. Once arriving in Japan, the first thing I noticed were the brilliantly colored vending machines, tiny cars (relative to American vehicles), and clean roads. Being in a new country was disorienting, humbling, and exciting. Fukuoka was full of life as I admired the beautiful water and greenery. I was shocked by the culture of diversity and inclusivity among the locals as well. As a foreigner, I felt so welcomed. One thing that surprised me was how I could see and feel the Japanese history embedded within the city. Fukuoka was considered more country-side compared to urban Tokyo. The traditional architecture juxtaposed gracefully with the stunning natural beauty. 

The actual campsite was about a 20 minute drive from Hakata station. It wasn’t too tucked away from the city, but it could overlook Hakata from a peaceful distance while being surrounded by nature, shrines, and temples. Upon arriving at the camp, the Japanese counselors embraced the overseas counselors as family. I was pleasantly surprised at how welcoming everyone was. The first two days were mostly introductions, rehearsals, meetings, and team bonding. During break time the counselors went to see the iconic 41-meter-long reclining Buddha in the Nanzoin Temple while bonding over matcha soft-serves.  

The schedule for the week looked full, so I wasn’t expecting much besides working to provide an amazing experience for the campers. However, there’s something about spending 24-hours-a-day for a week with strangers that truly brings about a special experience. Throughout the week I gained so many lessons and memories through thought-provoking discussions and stimulating activities with campers and counselors. Here are my 5 main takeaways from the camp. 

1. Don’t forget your purpose! 

One of the first lessons we learned on the first day of the camp was the difference between having a goal and having a purpose. Goals can change, but as long as you don’t forget your purpose, you can go far in life. Later in advisory session while talking to my campers, I asked them to share one goal and purpose they had. But as a counselor that was supposed to provide guidance and advice, I was struggling to answer this myself. In this way I was grateful that the camp’s lessons allowed me to step away from my current life struggles in America and reflect on what my own purpose was.

2. Remember the world is your oyster!

One of the activities campers did on Day 2 was to create a world map and learn about different parts of the world. The goal of the activity was to help them realize just how vast and amazing the world was. I was assigned to present on Eastern Europe, an area I knew almost nothing about. But after researching and presenting I found myself extremely curious about borscht. 

3. Experience creating a social impact! 

Through all the guest speakers and counselors sharing their personal life stories, I found one common theme - the importance of creating a social impact. Whether it was through a pop-up food tent to help feed communities during difficult times or a global education tool to help students from various backgrounds get into university, hearing these stories empowered the campers and myself to think larger than ourselves. 

4. All students can have big dreams!

Before the OYM camp, I had a preconceived perception about teaching students in America vs Japan. I knew American students were rather vocal in sharing their thoughts and opinions, and I thought Japanese students would be more reserved. However, I was surprised at how open and thoughtful the Japanese students were in sharing their own ideas. I soon realized that all students have an innate desire to learn and dream big. There was no difference in the admirable dreams of American vs Japanese students. Instead, it reminded me that students around the world have beautiful dreams to share and deserve to achieve them.

5. Make your mark!

On the 5th day of the camp, all campers presented their three-minute speech about their dream in front of everyone. There were future doctors that wanted to open hospitals in underserved populations. There were future chefs that wanted to implement healthier food policies for school meals. There were future manga artists, makeup artists, and novelists. There were future teachers that wanted to build schools to give other students a chance to say “I’ve got a dream!” As I sat in the crowd teary-eyed, listening to each camper’s unique reason for their dream, I began to reflect on how to apply my newfound global perspective to my own purpose. 

(If you couldn’t already tell, the theme of the camp was “I’ve got a dream.”)

As a counselor, I thought my job was to help the campers. However, I didn’t expect the campers to have such a large influence on myself.  We discussed so many topics to just stimulate our minds to think differently. Not only was I intellectually stimulated through the guest speeches and activities, but I was also emotionally stimulated. In one week I surprisingly became very close with some of the Japanese counselors, despite the language barrier, and made some of the best friends whom I still laugh with today (although this resulted in me ugly crying at the airport when I had to go). I even appreciated the 7am radio taiso exercises outside in the freezing cold and have thought about implementing this in my own morning routine. 

The camp was intense, starting at 7am and ending at 10pm everyday. It was an emotional rollercoaster, and I didn’t expect to have made such impacting memories. At the end of it I was exhausted, but I was happy and fulfilled. I came out of the camp with a more global and open mindset. The feelings we shared during that one week will probably stay with us for years beyond the camp. To say this experience was life-changing would be an understatement, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.