Kawahito-sensei's Personal Story...

    Half a century ago, I was a student at American institutions of higher education.  In other words, I was just like you today. 

    I was lucky in some respects and was unlucky in other respects. I was lucky in that I was healthy and physically fit. I was lucky in that my sister had shown me the importance of being hardworking and focused to accomplish any dream. I was lucky in that I had developed good friends who would cheer me up. On the other hand, I was not blessed in that my father was not a rich man to be able to finance my education. To survive, I had to work full time during summer on farms and railroads. During spring and fall semesters, I had to work every afternoon as a janitor, factory worker, and what ever I could. 

    I was very poor and had little savings at anytime. Sometimes I ate cabbage and eggs with bread for every meal. When I became a little richer, I ate chicken neck soup for every meal. I had to study hard on weekends when other students were playing.  

   In the circumstance, a tuition scholarship, granted by a local church, made a great difference in my drive for academic excellence.  Opportunities to participate, free of charge, in intercultural events offered by other organizations provided me with a  life-changing experience. 

   Looking back, I feel that I was lucky in critical situations. On the other hand, other people were not necessarily lucky; they should have had better opportunities. Thinking that way, and having the capable MTSU Development Office Staff on my side, I was able to think of establishing a Kiyoshi Kawahito Scholarship Fund for studying Japanese language and culture. I hope that this initiative will be of some help.