A mission for his home country
"I always feel the responsibility of being a representative of Soka University. And that sense of responsibility motivates me to work harder."
Juan Manuel Perez Debrand left his home country, the Dominican Republic, to study at Soka University, and is currently working in New York City. One day, he wants to pass on his knowledge and humanistic education, as acquired at Soka University, to younger Dominicans.
"I decided to enter Soka University because I wanted to learn about economics and humanity in a complementary way. I have many memories from my six years studying at Soka University. While the annual 'Sodai' festivals gave me the joy of creating something with others, I also experienced setbacks during my university years. In 2015, a research paper that I submitted was rejected because the content was insufficient. I had to extend my research period by another semester to complete the paper. I was devastated, but this was when I realized that I had not been making the utmost effort in my paper. Around this time, the founder gave a commemorative message to all students, including international students. He told us that we needed to make efforts 'for our own family' when studying in general or when preparing for the festival (this was just before a 'Sodai' festival and during studying). The message touched my heart, as a person living away from my family.
Uplifted by this encouragement from the founder and supported by his peers and professors, Debrand successfully finished his essay.
Global viewpoints acquired at Soka University suiting his current work perfectly
"I am currently working for a U.S. affiliate of ITO EN, Ltd. I am a sales manager, and my job is to document everything about sales in the U.S. and send the data to Japan. The knowledge of economics that I acquired at Soka University is undoubtfully relevant to my current work. The ability to work in a team, which I learned during my university years on various occasions, is also significant in my current job. Soka University provides education to many international students from all over the world. My workplace is the same, with many staff members from various countries. My workplace has a global environment—something that Soka University also provided, including the atmosphere.
My co-workers, bosses, and the president of ITO EN all know that I graduated from Soka University. This fact motivates me to work harder, reminding me that I must always act as a representative of my university."
"My next goal is to promote economic activities centered on humanistic education. I know some younger people back in my home country that have the same aspiration. I hope that one day they can study at Soka University as well. My message to the current students of Soka University is this: Trust that the amazing education and environment offered by this university will equip you with the abilities to serve society in the future. Keep a grateful mind and strive for the future."
Note: This interview was originally published in the 100th issue of SUN.
