Q. In what grade are you currently enrolled?

A. I am currently in my senior year at Emmaus High School.

Q. Please provide the first names of your family members: parents, siblings and pets.

A. My father’s name is Seiji, my mother’s name is Kimiko and my older sister’s name is Mirai. I have no pets.

Q. What is your favorite subject? Why?

A. My favorite subject in school right now is physics. Although the curriculum seemed daunting to me at first, the various thought processes and problem-solving skills I have acquired through hours of practice have made this subject my most favorite by far.

Q. Have you received any special awards or recognition?

A. In freshman year, I received the Award for Leadership in Community for my origami fundraiser that benefited Angel Network, a community organization intent on assisting the underrepresented students in my district. In addition, I have received the Award for Academic Excellence three years in a row for maintaining a high GPA and an A average in most of my classes throughout the years. In junior year, I received the National Honor Society Induction Award for being selected into the prestigious school chapter, while maintaining a GPA of 3.8 and higher from freshman year. Also in junior year, I received a $200 scholarship from the Lehigh Valley American Society of Civil Engineers for winning the annual bridge designing contest. Finally, I received the National History Day State Contest Finalist Award for advancing through school and regional competitions to the state contest held virtually in May 2020.

Q. Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? How has COVID-19 impacted these activities?

A. My principal extracurricular activity is attending Japanese school every Saturday. I have been attending this school since my first grade and every weekend I have been learning math, language and history the way students in Japan have been learning it, with Japanese textbooks and classwork. In ninth grade I was selected into the student council and appointed as leader of the volunteer club. As leader of the volunteer club, I organized and led a schoolwide fundraiser in the fall of 2019 to assist those in need after the devastating typhoon in Japan. Because of COVID-19, this activity has been moved online and I have been joining weekly Zoom lessons via my laptop.

Community activities have also formed a significant part of my high school career, as I have committed a significant portion of my time to organizing fundraisers for both my local American community and my Japanese community. In the three years I have been attending high school, I have completed three school fundraisers benefiting Angel Network in my school district. My contributions were rewarded in freshman year when I received the Leadership and Community Award from my school. And as listed above in the first paragraph, I also organized and led a fundraiser in Japanese school, benefiting a Japanese-American relief organization after a devastating typhoon hit the country in 2019. Through these fundraisers, I was able to contribute not only to my local American community, but also to my Japanese community. I was planning on organizing the origami fundraiser four years in a row, but because of COVID-19, my plans were cut short this spring. Right now, I am tentatively planning on hosting this event in the spring.

Aside from attending Japanese school and organizing fundraisers, I have also committed a significant amount of Sundays to community volunteer work. In freshman year I started training at a local blood center as a canteen assistant, helping donors who regain their blood pressure and sugar content. As canteen assistant, I also make sure the donors stay in the canteen for the required 15 minutes of observation, where I check the donor’s facial features and condition for any signs of an adverse reaction. Since starting this in my freshman year, I have amassed more than 100 hours of volunteer work at this blood center. COVID-19 has impacted this activity also, because the blood center is no longer allowing people into the canteen.

Q. What do you consider your biggest challenge to date?

A. To date the biggest challenge that I face is my self-doubt. Throughout the years at high school, the one common barrier or obstacle that stood in my way of achieving something was the doubt I had for myself and the fear of failure. From freshman year to senior year, I have been forced to tackle this self-doubt head on countless times, from organizing my first ever fundraiser and taking a leadership position for the first time, to competing in the Lehigh Valley Bridge Contest after losing for two consecutive years. But through these valuable experiences, I have slowly but surely gained confidence in my own abilities and the drive that I have to accomplish whatever I want to do. In the future, when I attend college and then hopefully onto pilot training programs, I will surely encounter even tougher hardships that challenge my confidence in myself. In order to succeed in my dreams and endeavors, I must overcome each and every one of my weaknesses by staying true to myself and never losing faith.

Q. What is your next goal after high school?

A. My goal after high school is to attend a 4-year university to get my bachelor’s degree in aviation and then on to graduate school for my master’s degree. Ultimately, my goal is to get a job in the aviation industry and then begin training to become a commercial pilot.

Q. Whom do you admire? Why?

A. A famous figure that I admire is the Wright Brothers. If not for them, I would not have the passion for aviation that I have now. Their desires to explore their curiosity and overcome challenges no one had ever faced before motivates me to challenge myself also. I also admire both of my parents; they came all the way from their home in Japan to a foreign country and helped me grow and develop into the person I am today. Their tenacity in overcoming challenges in an extreme environment, along with the values they taught me about cultural identity and diversity are ones that I will never forget and which I will always remember.

Q. For what would you like to be remembered?

A. I don’t really think about what I would like to be remembered for doing right now; I have way too many years ahead of me to articulate a true answer for myself. However, I can say I would definitely like my children and my grandchildren to think of me as the person who never wavered in times of stress and forged on with his dreams and endeavors, no matter how harsh the obstacles that stood in his way were.

Q. Do you have any advice for your peers?

A. Again, I am in the same position as my peers are in right now, so I cannot articulate a coherent answer to this question either. But I do have a message to the students in grades below me. I would like to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone as many times as they can before graduating high school and entering the workforce/enrolling in college. Yes, the principles of math and the fundamentals of the English language are crucial for the backbone of your education; however, life experiences, failures and successes alike, are the most important lessons you learn in life, which I realized after overcoming many obstacles myself in high school. Do not fear failure, because you are allowed to make mistakes right now and those failures mean one less failure that you will make in the future, when any mistakes may be life-changing. I was afraid of failure and the resulting embarrassment until freshman year, when I was finally able to overcome that barrier by challenging myself outside of my comfort zone. Your chances may seem bleak and you may not have the drive at first, but the self-confidence and revelation you will gain after that new experience will be unlike any other; it will surely enrich your academic experience and prepare you for life outside of the school environment.