Traveling and studying abroad is something Rachel Williamson has come to enjoy.
After studying in Spain last summer, Williamson spent her time this summer in Japan.
The daughter of Lindy and Alicia Williamson, and 2014 valedictorian at Columbia Academy, Williamson is preparing to enter her senior year at the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business after spending the summer in classes at Seisen University in Tokyo.
“I was taking Japanese classes at a college there,” she said. “I spent a month in the Gotanda part of Tokyo. I’ve always liked studying languages and cultures, so I had been studying Japanese on my own. But two years ago, I went to Japan for two weeks for a business study abroad. I loved it. I’m hoping to be able to work there for a couple of years.”
Since Japanese language classes aren’t offered at USM, Williamson decided to go back to Japan.
“After graduation, I’m thinking about grad school and what country I should go to grad school in,” she said. “Or I’m thinking about getting a job and doing that. I think that maybe I want to get my first job in Japan. I’m thinking about it. I definitely want to work in Japan for a couple of years because I love it so much.”
The Japanese culture is what attracts Williamson to the country.
“It kind of suits my personality,” she said. “People who know me understand. Imagine my personality as a culture and that’s what it is like. It’s really safe. When I’m there, I feel really calm. I’m still careful, but I don’t have to worry as much about danger. I’ve been to New York before and I felt extremely overwhelmed and it felt dangerous; that’s not the case in Tokyo. In Tokyo, the crime rate is really low. I can walk around almost anytime and not feel scared at all.”
There is also another reason Williamson enjoys Japan as much as she does.
“I love the food,” she said. “It’s so good. When I’m in Japan, I feel relaxed. After going there two years ago, I felt that was where I needed to be. I made great friends over there, both Japanese and American. Just today, we were all talking in our group chat about how much we miss each other, even though we’ve only been home for a few days.”
Williamson also enjoyed sightseeing in Japan.
“I didn’t travel outside Tokyo too much,” she said. “I did go a little bit south of Tokyo. I’ve been to Tokyo three times now, but there is always something to do. It’s a huge city, but it feels like a bunch of small cities put together. I still feel like there is a lot to see. There are things like the Sky Tree, which is the tallest building in the world, lots of interesting shrines and gardens, busy city areas and so much more there. I listen to the music and really like the pop culture. I learned a lot on the internet and became interested. After Spanish, I kind of thought about what language I wanted to learn next. I learned a little bit about Japan and saw how interesting the culture was … I thought, ‘Hey, why not Japanese?’”
The trip from her home to Tokyo takes approximately 24 hours, according to Williamson.
“It’s 14 hours time difference,” she said. “I woke up really early this morning. I didn’t have jet lag that bad, but I keep getting hungry at weird times. It’s not too bad.”
If she moves to Japan after graduation, Williamson said that she has several options for work.
“One option would be to teach English,” she concluded. “Another option is that I have an accounting degree, I could use that. I also have an international business degree. There is a global internship for an accounting firm that I might apply to. I have a lot of options right now. In the next few months, I’ll have to make decisions as to what I want to do.”
Pictured Above: Rachel Williamson, top row, third from left, Columbia Academy’s 2014 valedictorian and a senior at the University of Southern Mississippi, spent the summer studying at Seisen University in Tokyo, Japan. | Photo Submitted
