Student leaves her mark

Her dream is to work as a Japanese tour guide in Australia. But to get there from here, she’ll have to take a lot of steps.

One of Aiko Nagabuchi’s first steps has just been accomplished: a semester of English-language study at Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute in Spokane.

The 19-year-old Japanese student arrived on a snowy day in early February with more than 200 other English majors from Mukogawa Women’s University in Nishinomiya, Japan. In late May, she returned to Japan, closer to her goals and more confident in her English-language skills.

Throughout her semester in Spokane, Nagabuchi studied hard, spending hours in the library and visiting with faculty and staff members.

From her first day in class, she was “a strong student and an inspiration to others,” said Mark Landa, director of academic programs at Mukogawa.

Nagabuchi took every opportunity to speak English with teachers, friends and strangers, even initiating conversations on STA buses and in shopping malls.

“I was always impressed that American people were very friendly,” she said.

Challenges emerged as Nagabuchi worked her way through the semester – and not all of them directly involved the English language.

One example is Bloomsday.

Most Mukogawa students – including Nagabuchi – don’t come to Spokane with an interest in running. However, they all participate in Bloomsday as one of their semester requirements. The majority of them walk the course in two or three hours, sometimes stopping along the way for ice cream or restroom breaks.

But Nagabuchi wouldn’t settle for being mediocre, even though she never before had trained to be a runner.

“I just walked my dog every day (in Japan) to get exercise,” she said with a laugh. “But when I heard about Bloomsday, I wanted to do it.”

In the weeks before the race, Nagabuchi set up a training regimen, which included regular workouts at the Spokane Falls Community College fitness center and hourlong runs near the Mukogawa campus.

The race proved to be a memorable experience. “People are cheering, dancing, singing on the roadside,” she said. “When I run, I watch these people, and they give me a lot of energy. So I run happily.”

Nagabuchi’s energy continued to the finish line. “Everyone said, ‘Congratulations! Good work.’ I was so excited.”

Her time was 57:41 – faster than any other Mukogawa student ever. According to Ron Belisle, longtime teacher at the institute, she surpassed the finish times of approximately 3,700 previous and current Mukogawa students.

The results prompted Nagabuchi to rethink her exercise routine back in Japan. “I will run with my dog, or I will run by myself. It is refreshing to me to run,” she said.

Nagabuchi received another honor in Spokane. During a recent ceremony at Mukogawa, Marie Whalen, director of student life, presented her with the school’s Outstanding Service Award. Teachers and advisers submit nominations for this special honor, and Nagabuchi’s name rose to the top.

Landa explained: “This award goes primarily to a student who serves as a model for other students. In Nagabuchi’s case, she encouraged classmates to ask questions and speak English.”

Although there were many nominees, “no one else measured up,” Landa said.

“She’s not a one-dimensional person either. She sings and is an accomplished pianist as well,” said Landa.