“And that kind of moment of breakthrough has been helping me for the rest of my life, right? Whenever I face any difficulty or struggles, I know there's a way to break through by my own efforts. And there are things that I can control.”

In this episode, we’re going to talk about the power of turning things around- pushing through difficult experiences, realizing when you’re low, and pulling yourself out of the darkness. For Kakeru from Japan, that turning point came when he was studying in California with AFS in 2004-2005.

Now, 20 years later, Kakeru has moved back to the US, earned an MBA, and landed a job in tech in Silicon Valley. In this episode, we not only hear Kakeru’s story but also gain insight from his host mother, Kendis, with whom he’s still in touch after all these years!

After the interview with Kakeru and Kendis, we’ll hear from Amanda Brown, AFS-USA’s Manager of Participant Support and Learning, who will discuss common challenges students face on the program and the resources AFS-USA provides for participants, host families, and volunteers.

Guests:
Kakeru Tsubota
Kendis Heffley
Amanda Brown

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