Haruka
School of Social Sciences
ICC Student Staff Leader
September 2020－January 2024
Introduction
I became an ICC Student Staff Leader (SSL) in the fall semester of my first year, and although I had to take a year off to study abroad in Canada, I was able to challenge myself in many different ways throughout my university life while also working at ICC. I was blessed to work and interact with wonderful friends with diverse backgrounds, and working as an SSL was one of the best parts of my student life. By looking back on my precious experiences at ICC, I hope this report will give you some idea of how amazing working at ICC is.
Why I became an SSL
I first heard about ICC when I was a high school student. I happened to drop by the ICC lounge when I visited Waseda, and I learned about ICC’s activities when an SSL at the reception desk spoke to me kindly. I was attracted by the content of the activities that ICC had, but also found the open atmosphere of ICC very attractive. Because I had the experience of living aboard and studying at an international school, I thought interacting with students with diverse backgrounds at Waseda and organizing events myself was a valuable experience that only ICC could offer.
Challenges of the COVID situation
Just after passing the exam and being accepted to Waseda University, the outbreak of the coronavirus began. Due to the pandemic, my high school graduation ceremony, university entrance ceremony, and welcome parties were all cancelled. Moreover, classes did not start until May, and even when they resumed, all classes were held online. Of course the intake of international students temporarily stopped, and there was a period of time when we could not even go to the campus, let alone engage in intercultural exchange.
It was a really difficult time for me, as I was looking forward to enjoying university life. Even in this situation, I wanted to somehow have a fulfilling time despite the pandemic. Therefore, I decided to start two things: to join the university’s varsity hockey team and to engage in ICC activities as an SSL. As a result, I was able to lead a fulfilling student life, even during the pandemic. In particular, since I spent a year in Canada for a study abroad program from the fall semester of my sophomore year, working at ICC and being a part of the hockey team was the most precious time I could spend on campus before going abroad.
-
- ICC photos
My experience at ICC
As an SSL, I have organized various types of events in the past three years, such as talk sessions, sporting events, and country festivals. The following is a list of the events I proposed and presented.
・ Learning about Sustainable Fashion from Patagonia – Think Sustainably, Act Responsibly
・【ICC x Waseda Association Football Club】 Online Soccer Trivia Quiz!
・ Experience the real Canada at ICC CANADIAN CULTURE NIGHT!!
Among all the events, the Canadian Culture Night was the most memorable one for me. It was the last event before my graduation. (For more detail, please check out my event report.) Making events from scratch, I was able to grow by leveraging my strengths and being aware of and improving upon my weaknesses.
When planning events as an SSL, my top priority was to promote my events with more enthusiasm and motivation than anyone. I feel that many guests agreed to help out with my events because of the strong passion I showed as an organizer of the event. At ICC, all the events are organized and managed by SSLs. It was a truly valuable and rewarding experience for me to be able to plan and organize events as an official Waseda University staff member, even though I was still a student.
-
- ICC photos
Balancing club activities
As I mentioned earlier, I belonged to the Waseda University Girl’s Hockey Team, and to my surprise, I was the first student who belonged to the university official sports team in ICC’s history. Thanks to the support of the ICC staff, I was able to give my all in both activities. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who supported me through my athletic career.
I spent my days rushing from the hockey field to the ICC office after practice, but when everyone came to cheer me on at my final game, I really felt the warmth of the ICC and was truly grateful that I had met these wonderful people through the ICC.
With ICC staff who came to cheer at my last Waseda vs Keio game (photo by author)
Last but not least
For about three years, from the time of my enrollment to my graduation, ICC has been a great place to be, and I have met many wonderful people, including fellow SSLs, ICC staff, and people on and off campus, who have supported me through many challenges during my time here. My fulfilling university days would not be complete without ICC. Again, thank you all so much. With the precious experience I gained at ICC as inspiration, I will continue to do my best in life.
