Community Outreach Activities Interview: Ava MORLIER from Towson University, Maryland, USA

Interview about Community Outreach Activities is a series of interviews introducing the voices of participants engaged in activities organized by Akita International University (AIU)’s Community Outreach Service. In this fifth interview, we welcomed Ava MORLIER, an international student majoring in Interdisciplinary Asian Studies, to share her experience participating in the program. Through this interview, we explore her motivations, reflections, and what she has gained through these intercultural experiences.

AIU: “A little cultural biome” where different cultures meet

Ava enrolled at AIU in April 2025. Before coming to Akita, she studied in Tokyo, however, she felt that interactions between Japanese and international students were limited, and it was difficult to build meaningful connections with locals. She chose AIU because, unlike Tokyo, it offered a small community where Japanese and international students genuinely interact and learn from one another. She describes AIU as “its own little cultural biome”, a diverse environment influenced by many cultures. AIU’s learning environment allows her to gain more perspectives from Japanese students and participate in a more active cultural exchange.

Paving the Way Toward Her Dream of Becoming a JET Teacher

A major motivation for her participation in community outreach activities comes from her dream of becoming an English teacher through the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme. She also wanted to experience Japanese school culture first-hand and engage in meaningful cultural exchange. Additionally, she shared that joining these activities served as a refreshing break from her routine academic life.
Among the twelve activities she joined, she highlighted her visit to a kindergarten in Akita City as the most memorable experience, describing the children and teachers as warm, welcoming, and full of energy.

A Shift in Perspective

Before participating in Community Outreach Activities, Ava admitted she held a negative view of her home country, particularly toward American politics. However, after returning from her visit to a junior high school, she realized that there are still many aspects of American culture she can respect and take pride in. The experience softened her perspective and allowed her to reconnect with a sense of cultural appreciation she had previously dismissed.

Teachers’ Seminar: A “test run” for her dream

Every summer, AIU hosts the Teachers’ Seminar, an annual workshop designed to support English education in Akita for local elementary school teachers. Ava’s role as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) was to help classroom teachers develop their English and team-teach English to students through mock lessons. She described the experience as “dream come true”: a meaningful chance to interact with local educators, practice teaching in a real classroom setting, and experience what life as an ALT in Japan might be like.?

What She Gained Through Participation

Through the Community Outreach Activities, Ava observed clear differences in communication styles depending on age groups: kindergarteners were more expressive, whereas junior high students tended to be more cautious or shy. These observations helped her think deeply about how to create safe learning environments for students.

Her experience also helped her build confidence not only in teaching but also in navigating cultural spaces, forming connections, and stepping outside her comfort zone. She described feeling nervous before the activities, yet always fulfilled and grateful afterward.

Message for Future Participants

Ava strongly recommends Community Outreach Activities to future international students, especially those interested in Japanese culture. Her message is:

“I would tell them to do it, even if they’re scared, even if they think that they’re not going to have the energy. They need to get over their fear and do this. If they really want to experience Japanese culture, this is the best avenue to do it.”