Experiences from FSA

Hi everyone, my name is Kim Sungbin, I am from Korea, and I’m in the 48th batch of sustainable innovation in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Please call me Bin. I am a member of the Foreign Student Association this year.

This time last year, I took a break from school because I had to do military duty in Korea. When I returned to school after a two-year absence, it was a challenge for me to apply for the Foreign Student Association. I also wondered if I was qualified to be a member of FSA, as I had not participated in many of its events during my freshman year, because I was participating in other club activities. At that time, I saw my friend who was a FSA member working hard and preparing for the events. I feel like I wanted to do my best for the international students too. Also, Dr.Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of Soka University, is always thinking about the international students. One of the reasons why I applied to join the FSA last year was to respond to the founder's warm heart towards the international students by working on his behalf.

I didn't know the majority of the members’ names or even faces because I hadn't been back to school for two years. In particular, because the pandemic made it difficult for me to get the visa to Japan, so I had no other way but to remain in Korea. Therefore, I was unwilling to participate in FSA activities in the beginning. I made excuses for myself such as not being in Japan physically or feeling awkward with members I did not know well. However, I gained courage from one of the second-year members who shared their story and encouraged me warmly during our dialogue. It also made me rethink my reason for applying to FSA. Even now, I am really grateful for that second year member. Thanks to them, I was able to clear my mind and continued doing my best to challenge myself in the activities of FSA.

In the process of preparing for many events, I was continuously challenged to do things that I had never done before. I developed my abilities while fulfilling various roles such as emceeing, planning, and editing videos. Through the experience of working together towards the same goal even though we are in different places, I also learned the importance of trusting and respecting each person, and that the heart is more important than anything else.

The people I met and the experiences I had as a FSA member were indeed encounters that nourished me alot.

Thank you very much for listening to my experience.