The Path to Harvard Graduate School of Education

Suddenly, I noticed what my true passion was as if I was hit with a thunderbolt…To tell you the truth, I planned to go to an integral consulting company or business school after graduation from JFKU. The reason was simple: I attempted to apply Integral Theory to the business world or to learn Organizational Behavior which covers psychological issues in the business field. This plan didn’t seem unusual because my academic background (BA) was business administration (especially accounting), and I was a business consultant before coming to USA. I imagined my career as a “dialectic process (thesis: limitations of the current business world, antithesis: psychology and Integral Theory, then synthesis: integral business.” However, I realized that my passion didn’t exist in the business world anymore…My true passion resides in the “education” world…I’ve experienced this kind of drastic shift twice.

The first was I decided to quit my job and decided to go to JFKU in order to study Integral Theory and various psychologies. The second was this time: shifted my passion from the business world to education world. Why did my passion change in a sudden? The key was “deep inquiry.” A couple months ago, I talked to the chair of my program about the importance of inquiry. Since then, I’ve asked myself: “What is my true passion?” “What is my sacred purpose in my life?” “What is my calling?” I inquired again and again. I asked to myself every day. Then, I found “where” my true passion and purpose in my life were. Actually, my true passion never separated from me. It has been with me and within me all my life. Now, my feeling is full of “euphoria.”

Firstly, I have to appreciate JFKU because it taught me the joyfulness of “learning.” Every teacher at JFKU has a wonderful passion toward teaching, so I’m inspired a lot.

Next, now, I engage in one NPO in Japan, which supports childhood cancer patients and their parents. And I recently started to teach children English conversation (Please don’t laugh at me, my friends in America. Yes, I’m a real English teacher.) and to provide some of them with Integral Coaching to support their psychological growth. Through teaching in this NPO, I realized the great pleasure of “teaching.” In retrospect, I remembered that I felt the enjoyment and fulfillment by teaching my friends various subjects in a school from elementary school, junior high school, high school, and to university. Honestly speaking, this emotion in those days was beyond language.

Lastly, I was really intrigued by human development. I took a “Developmental Psychology” class last quarter and read some Robert Kegan’s books…The more I learned his theory, the more I became eager to study with him actually. Thus, I decided to go to Harvard Graduate School of Education in order to study with him. The reason of my decision was really simple? Maybe so. When I decided to leave my company and to go to JFKU, the reason was also simple as I told you before. Perhaps, I live my life, following my inner “simple” but holy voice. Who knows my true passion, purpose, calling in my life? My inner holy voice does.