How do you think budget cuts and California’s fiscal situation will continue to affect you at Berkeley?  Do you feel like you’ve gotten over the biggest hurdle by being accepted to Berkeley, or are you facing more challenges?

I was able to only receive financial aid to cover the costs of my unit and student expenses (at Berkeley) but I wasn’t able to receive any actual money in my pocket at all from financial aid without using loans. So, I certainly feel that I’m over certain hurdles but there are different systems I have to deal with now, different kinds of hurdles. I’m worrying right now about talking to the financial aid department because I’m being told that certain things aren’t being paid for. I was told I’m not signed up for enough classes yet to receive the financial aid in the fall, but if the fees don’t get paid then my registration gets cancelled, so it’s like a vicious cycle. (Before the recession) you may have been able to pull a string (to get some fees waived) but now they cannot without giving me a loan. I went through all this effort to get into U-C Berkeley and now I can’t even afford to be here. The only way I can afford to graduate and get this degree in Japanese is by going to Japan and having them pay for it (through a scholarship program I’m applying for). 

What are your career and education goals?

I want to pursue the highest level of education I can and perhaps move to Japan and become a Japanese interpreter (for foreigners in Japan). I’ve seen a lot of Brazilians, Peruvians, Chileans, a lot of people from South America who are of Japanese descent who left Japan after the World War II period. With the current population crisis going on in Japan, they have been allowing a lot more of these people back into the country as immigrants.  I also want to use (my translation skills) to perhaps get me in the UN and get towards politics.  It’s something I want to pursue and be politically involved. 

Do you have any advice for students who are striving to get into their dream school in this economic environment?

You don’t have to be a lawyer all the time.  Sometimes it’s better to find ways to make yourself happy.  Don’t be afraid to do your own research.  And you might get a different answer and you still have to deal with it.  It’s becoming harder for students who live in California to go to colleges in California because it costs so much money. Take advantage of your time while you’ve got it.  Have fun, take a couple of classes that you want to take, don’t be afraid to do that.