The other day, I had the amazing opportunity to join the Tobitate! Study Abroad × World Road post-study program as an Onset Staff! In this story, I’ll be sharing my experiences, along with the voices of Dreamers and the participating students.
Opening
This program is designed for students who have just returned from studying abroad. It’s a chance for them to verbalize their experiences, refine their dreams, and receive valuable feedback from Dreamers—mentors from around the world who are making an impact in their respective fields.
This time, we had around 30 students joining the program! They were divided into teams based on their fields of interest—ranging from diversity and inclusion to STEAM—and passionately shared their thoughts and aspirations.
The session started with introductions from the Dreamers, followed by students presenting their dreams and experiences in English. Afterward, they received direct feedback from the Dreamers to further refine their goals.
Throughout the session, you could hear laughter echoing from the rooms, see students listening intently, and feel the powerful energy that could only be created in this space.
So, how did the Dreamers and participants feel about this experience? Let’s dive into their voices in the next section! ✨
Voices from Dreamers
Dreamer from Greece: Panourgias Papaioannou
As a mentor in the Tobitate Study Abroad Initiative, I have had the privilege of engaging with numerous ambitious Japanese students. Throughout their international experiences, these students have gained deeper insights into their aspirations and taken proactive steps toward achieving their goals. Observing their journey before and after their time abroad, I have witnessed remarkable growth in their English proficiency, as well as in their cultural, social, and writing skills.
During our sessions, students articulated their objectives and outlined the necessary steps to realize their dreams.Participants in the Tobitate program add significant value to Japan’s economy and cultural landscape, serving as ambassadors who acquire and share knowledge from diverse global contexts. I strongly advocate for continued student mobility, as the Tobitate mentoring sessions encourage participants to reflect on and make informed decisions about their professional and personal futures.
Whether pursuing further education, starting their own businesses, or developing new products, Tobitate students are now equipped to contribute actively to society. Their time abroad has enabled them to build networks, step out of their comfort zones, and prepare for new challenges. As a mentor, this experience has been enriching, allowing me to connect with Japan’s bright young minds, listen to their experiences, and guide them toward achieving their aspirations. I look forward to maintaining these connections, recognizing the importance of networking throughout all stages of life.
Dreamer from Slovakia : Andrea Orsag
Being a mentor for the Tobitate program has been such a wonderful experience over those last 3 years. I have met many wonderful students who are keen to expand their horizons, learn, grow and get the experience abroad, to make their dreams a reality.
I find the whole experience very humbling, since many of these young dreamers travel abroad for the very first time. There is so much waiting for them – new situations, new friends, but especially a lot of personal growth. There are always great and positive moments and they also have to face many challenges. I can relate since I got to live in different countries. Being homesick, feeling alone, feeling different, struggling with the language that’s not your native – this can be really challenging. But I find this to be such a big and important part of the big Tobitate adventure.
I was inspired so many and so happy when I get a chance to meet some of them over a coffee in person. I love to hear their stories, aha moments and learn how they have been dealing with situations that have been new and out of their comfort zone. And I absolutely love to hear their stories and their reflections once they are back in Japan.
I believe making yourself vulnerable, exposing yourself to other cultures and new environments truly changes you. For the better. It gives you new perspectives, new ideas and it has a potential to be a life changing moment.
When I mentor students, I want to make them comfortable to share their joys but also worries with me. In order to do that, I find it very important to create a safe space. Having a dream and being willing to share it with the world – that’s certainly not a small thing. Not all dreams have to be crystal clear, the point is to dare to explore and shape them further. To see where the whole journey takes you. To lean in, open up and enjoy the whole experience of unknown. The more you open your mind and fully embrace the experience, the bigger and the more profound the whole experience abroad will be. This is where the real growth happens.
In order to create the future we want, we need to be able to imagine it first. And that’s exactly what having a dream is all about. I am proud of all the dreamers I had the privilege to mentor and I am looking forward to seeing where their journeys will take them.
Big thank you to the whole Tobitate and World Dream Project team for giving young minds this big opportunity and to us mentors the possibility to be part of their adventure.
To be continued…