(September) Tsubasa 2023

Yun: Good morning! Thank you for coming today. Can you introduce yourself!

Yleov: Thank you for this opportunity. I am Yleov Serrano. Many people call me Yleov. I am from the Philippines, and I just finished my 1st year, I am about to be a 2nd year student this fall semester. Lastly, I am from the faculty of letters.

Yun: So you finished your freshman year, right? How was it?

Yleov : It had been challenging to learn many things, such as general subjects. I had few choices, but by the spring semester, I got to choose what I liked, which was still challenging. I did not regret my decisions.

Yun: Oh , you had so many challenges, but among them, what was your biggest challenge?

Yleov: I guess just balancing my school activities, I took 24 credits while I am having part time and FSA activities. Despite that, I learned a lot of things , talked to many different wonderful people, and learned Japanese, so I can say it’s a really big achievement for me. Whenever I feel challenged, I always remind myself of the purpose of doing such activities.

Yun: You tried very hard to learn Japanese, has it improved?

Yleov: I can say it has improved; I feel comfortable having simple conversations and being immersed in an environment like a dorm.

Yun: By the way, do you have any favorite Japanese words you love?

Yleov: I have one; it’s “Fushigi”, which means mysterious and interesting.

Yun: “Fushigi” ! A really good word!

Let’s hop into another question. What have you been doing recently?

Yleov: Recently, most of the time, I have been taking meetings for preparations with my fellow KIFES members and other departments. Aside from that, I'm learning Japanese and brushing up on my drawings again.

Yun: As you said, you joined Ryukitsu this year, right? Why did you join and choose the KIFES?

Yleov: Oh! Nice question! Last year, when I came here, I didn’t know anything at all about Ryukitsu, but I tried joining Ryukitsu as a participant, and I learned about KIFES. There are many good things about KIFES, and I really wanted to go. When I participated in KIFES, I saw so much passion and love for the participants and the KIFES staff. This made me want to join as a staff member this year and do the same thing.

Yun: So how do you feel about being a Ryukitsu staff member for the first time?

Yleov: (hahaha) As a Staff , wow, there is a lot to prepare. We all have to think about what we can do , how we can make this possible, but I feel happy that we can inspire the participants.

Dongu: Did you encounter any changes in yourself after joining Ryukitsu?

Yleov: Before joining the Ryukitsu, I was nervous about having many preparations, but in reality, I am relieved to see many supportive people, and I have become more confident in what I am doing.

Dongu: This year, what do you want to achieve in Ryukitsu?

Yleov: Definitely, success in making sure anyone is able to enjoy the activities and realize that peace can be possible and we can do it in our present time. So that is what I want to achieve.

Yun: How do you create a balance between your daily activities and KIFES activities?

Yleov: I am just doing the same thing I have been doing for this spring semester, taking a deep breath when it’s time to focus and having a good rest when I need it.

Yun: Such a mindset as yours makes me curious about how you define “life.” Can you elaborate on this? I believe it might be a good message for the other international students.

Yleov: Any path we take leads to new experiences. Yes, there will definitely be challenges. Instead of believing them to be obstacles, use those challenges as new experiences you can learn from. I want to say to all the international students to have even a small amount of hope and believe that everything is bound to change.

Dongu: Such a heartwarming message; this will be the last question, what’s your determination as a person?

Yleov: I am determined to keep doing what I’m doing, and apply what I learned in many different areas. I also believed that creating friendships with new people was important for a good environment.

Dongu: Thank you so much for this wonderful interview.

Yun: Thank you!

Yleov: (hahaha) Thank you too!

Interviewer/Secretary：Yun,Dongu