CIEE Latin America Fellow Spotlight: Chiharu Imaki
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Meet the CIEE Leading Change in Latin America Student Fellows!
Follow along as CIEE sends 100 student leaders on a fully-funded semester abroad through the CIEE Leading Change in Latin America Fellowship. In this series, we spotlight Fellows as they immerse themselves in Latin American culture, grow as leaders, and prepare to make an impact worldwide.
Name: Chiharu Imaki
School: University of Washington
LATAM Location: Monteverde, Costa Rica
Q1: What inspired you to apply for the CIEE Leading for Change in Latin America Student Fellowship?
I was looking for scholarships after I had applied to my program and saw this opportunity on the CIEE homepage. I had participated in a completely different ambassador program when I was studying abroad in Japan before, but it wasn't on social media. I was very nervous at first because I get very anxious about posting, especially on TikTok. It makes me nervous. Still, after learning the purpose and what it was meant for, such as the effort to advocate for more students to travel to Latin America rather than Europe and other currently popular countries, I became super invested in trying to get this position. I have visited Panama once before and fell in love. Advocating for Latin America sounded like an amazing motive, and I thought putting myself out of my comfort zone by becoming a social media ambassador would help me grow as an individual, as well as help me keep a very important and memorable record of my experiences studying abroad.
Watch here: Chiharu's first day at CIEE Monteverde
Q2: What does it mean to you to engage in Latin America as a “learner” rather than a “visitor”?
Staying and “living” somewhere is always a very different experience from visiting. I have always had this thought when people visit Japan. As a half-Japanese person who is pretty in touch with their culture, I feel that many people's views on Japan differ based on whether they have visited or have lived there. When visiting, people mostly think about taking in experiences at the surface level, such as sightseeing, tours, taking pictures, etc. When engaging as a learner, I believe people tend to make an effort to immerse themselves by interacting with locals, trying to learn cultural differences while being respectful, and by asking questions. From my experience, visiting a place is about wanting to see it, and engaging as a learner is about wanting to understand the place. By the end of my experience, I hope to be able to understand Latin America in a way that I had not previously.
Q3: How do you think learning a new language can change the way you see the world?
It gives you as many new opportunities as there are people who speak that language. Of course, there are ways to communicate the bare minimum even without knowing the language through modern technologies such as Google Translate or by knowing a few phrases, but through learning the language, especially in the country it is spoken in, it allows you to not just communicate, but to connect. Connecting means so much more; it allows you to create conversation, to learn things you would never be able to without knowing the language, and to make bonds with people who would otherwise just be a stranger telling you to go straight, take a right, then take a left to get to your destination.
Q4: What excites you the most about studying abroad in Latin America?
Exploring the biodiversity of a place I have never been to with my own eyes, learning about organisms that don't exist where I'm from, experiencing firsthand the culture of Costa Rica, and, of course, learning the Spanish/Costa Rican language.
See more: The biodiversity of Monteverde through Chiharu's lens
Q5: In what ways do you hope to grow as a leader during this program?
I want to become a person who isn't uncomfortable putting themselves out there. A person who doesn't miss out on great opportunities just because they are shy, or think they might not be the best at something.
Q6: What local food(s) are you most excited to try?
I'm excited to try Pejibaye, Patacones, Chorreadas, and Guanábana, as well as coffee!
Become a Latin America Student Fellow
Your turn to make an impact in Latin America starts here – apply for the CIEE Leading Change in Latin America Student Fellowship today!