【FILA】 Gratitude to my Parents #15
Faculty of International Liberal Arts
What feelings would you like to convey to your parents now?
I want to express my deepest gratitude. When I told my parents that I wanted to study abroad in the Philippines for a year through an exchange program, and again when I told them that the program had been canceled and I wanted to extend my undergraduate studies to a fifth year, they wholeheartedly encouraged me to pursue what I truly wanted to do. They always respected my decisions. I wouldn’t be who I am today without the unwavering support of my parents. Being raised by such incredible parents, I feel truly blessed, and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Do you have any impressive memories of your parents in your FILA life?
I clearly remember the conversation I had with my father when he came to pick me up at Haneda Airport by car after my study abroad at the University of Southern California was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, I was overwhelmed with emptiness and frustration over the abrupt end of a goal I had long aspired to achieve. Seeing my disheartened state, my usually reserved father broke his silence and offered me words of encouragement to help me look forward. Though his words were few, they carried warmth and a certain gravity that deeply resonated with me. I will never forget the taste of the ramen we shared afterward. Thanks to the unwavering support of my parents, both in visible and invisible ways, I feel I was able to persevere and complete my studies at the Faculty of International Liberal Arts without giving up.
