Over the more than four decades that Marquette has had a Sister City relationship with Higashiomi, Japan, Northern Michigan University's president has sponsored one student from there to attend NMU each year. Now, for the first time, a Northern student is a reciprocal Sister City scholar. Houghton native Chelsea Peterson is attending the Japan Center for Michigan Universities (JCMU) with a full scholarship supported by the Higashiomi city budget. Another NMU connection to the area is alumnus Benjamin McCracken, who serves as the resident director of JCMU.
Peterson is majoring in international studies and said she believes NMU's teaching approach is helpful to students studying abroad.
“I think compared to the other students that I've talked to here, the professors at NMU have a more holistic approach to teaching and topics,” said Peterson. “I've taken international study courses, and we would sit in small groups and talk about current issues happening around the world. It would be a more interactive and more casual and ready conversation. That doesn't seem to be the same experience for all the students that are from other Michigan universities.
“I think that a free and casual approach to academics bodes well with studying abroad, and it allows you to have flexibility. Because you can go to class and you don't know. Is it going to be a lecture or small groups? Is it going to be a project? Is it going to be an essay? It's variable, and I do think that helps a lot with students.”
Peterson had always planned to study abroad for one semester, but she is nearing the end of a full academic year in Japan. Her program concludes April 21. It has consisted of daily three-hour class times with an additional three hours of self-study. Along with her language-intensive courses and electives, she also took a “JCMU experience” class, where students discuss culture shock and how to adapt to life in a new country.
“I knew zero Japanese and zero about Japan when I first came here,” said Peterson. “I never really even read manga [Japanese comics] or watched anime. I came in as a blank slate, and some things were great about that. I was excited to develop any level of competency. I'm still a level-one learner, but it's pretty amazing. I can read the majority of the signs, navigate public transportation, order simple things in restaurants, and when I go shopping, I can communicate with the people in the fitting rooms. I'm fairly confident about everyday life conversations already.”
The scholarship provided Peterson with a living stipend, which is enough to cover food and personal travel. She applied and interviewed for the opportunity after receiving an email sent to NMU international studies and language majors.
“It led to a long conversation with my husband,” said Peterson. “He's still in Michigan, and I'm here in Japan, and that's a long time. The good news is that he's very supportive of everything I do. I definitely recommend Japan and this program. Japan is beautiful, and public transportation is everywhere. It is so easy to access anywhere in Japan. JCMU encourages students to go out to explore as part of their cultural exchange. They don't want you to just stay in your dorm room. You can bring your study stuff on the train with you and go exploring Tokyo, Kyoto and other great cities in Japan. They really foster that environment here.”
U.S. students supply transcripts and a photo, and JCMU helps them apply for a visa. When the students arrived in Japan, they went to city hall and filed for a residency card. Peterson advises students traveling abroad to pack lightly and try to adapt to their new circumstances.
“Come here ready to work and ready to study,” said Peterson. “You can play, obviously, but you just have to have good time-management skills. I felt like I was good at it before. I've gotten way better at it, though, and getting my homework done immediately before moving on and playing or exploring. That's probably going to be a habit for the rest of my life. I've become a lot more patient with myself and with others because there is a language and cultural barrier. I've learned to be more forgiving of myself in situations that I don't understand or am well equipped for. I think maybe I was harder on myself before this experience. Just reflect and count to 10.”
Peterson hopes to pursue a career with an Asian focus where she helps women and children in underdeveloped areas. She's a board member of Janzen House, a homeless transitional residence in Marquette County. She wants to translate her passion there into working somewhere in Asia, aiding in cases of homelessness or domestic abuse.
McCracken also studied at JCMU for an academic year after taking a Japanese literature course at NMU and watching travel shows on television. He graduated from NMU in 2000 with a political science degree and pursued a career in law. After working for a law firm and as a clerk for the Michigan Supreme Court, he decided to accept an offer to serve as resident director at JCMU as a way of giving back. He now lives amongst students in the campus housing facilities. He oversees all academic programs and their components and teaches Japanese culture and society.
“I oversee a lot of their daily life as well,” said McCracken. “I try to give them opportunities. We try to bring in community people so that they have an opportunity to interact with Japan in a real, meaningful way. I believe person-to-person contact is what's really important. Studying language and culture and all of those things are wonderful, but meeting people on the ground and making long-lasting friendships and memories is what's important for me.”
JCMU is a facility built because of the sister-state relationship between Michigan and Shiga Prefecture in Japan. The program works with 15 public universities in Michigan to send their students to learn Japanese culture and language in semester-long or summer programs. Students take 10 credits in Japanese language, the equivalent of one academic year per semester. They also have a choice of electives that range from Japanese politics and diplomacy and introductions to Japanese culture or literature.
“I think the biggest impact that JCMU has on students is opening their eyes to the larger world, giving them skills and intercultural communications, cultural understanding, and, in some sense, humanity that they wouldn't get anywhere else,” said McCracken. “I see students who come in, and they look timid, and at the end, they're traveling on their own, and they've made friends. Experiencing something outside of your comfort zone can be really beneficial for NMU students. Having a language or international experience is a plus factor to your degree.”
Lila Isleib, NMU coordinator of study abroad and student services, said Steven VandenAvond, associate provost for Extended Learning and Community Engagement, and Marquette Area Sister City Partnership Committee members were instrumental in negotiating the reciprocal scholarship. In a recent visit to Marquette, Japanese Consul General of Detroit Yusuke Shindo mentioned that Marquette is one of Michigan's most active and well-known Sister Cities. Shindo is impressed with the relationship that the Marquette Area Sister City Partnership has built with Japan and the support from NMU.
