The Speech at the Regular Meeting of the Rotary Club of Tokyo South (Original)


　みなさま、こんにちは。
　上智大学国際教養学部二年生のモリ・メアリー・ヘレンです。

　同じく上智大学 国際教養学部一年生のオオウエ・リサです。

Today, we are honored to be a part of this event and to be standing here as APIC's scholarship students from Micronesia. This scholarship has opened up many opportunities that weren't available to Micronesians before us. I know, personally, that if it weren't for this scholarship, I wouldn't be here.

The dream of studying in Japan is often a distant less attainable one due to the lack of information and financial assistance. So much so that when children are given the chance to visit Japan, their parents can't help but boast even if it's only for a 2-week summer program. From that, you can imagine our parents' joy when they heard we were offered a full-ride scholarship to study at a prestigious university in Tokyo for four whole years. We are very fortunate to be able to stand here and say that we are recipients of such blessings.

Where we come from, most families are not financially stable enough to fund their children's education so not many of us get the chance to go to college. But with this scholarship, we can say that we are Micronesian university students who are one step closer to achieving their goals. The education we receive will equip us with the tools needed to develop our country, while living in Japan also helps us understand and appreciate our cultural differences and similarities. By keeping these in mind, we can, not only improve our country's wellbeing, but also strengthen the ties between Micronesia and Japan. And that is all made possible through your generous contributions to our studies at Sophia University. We will continue to give our best in our studies and, through it all, we will forever remain grateful for all you have given us.

みなさまがたのおかげで日本に学ぶ機会をいただき、心からかんしゃいたします。 ありがとうございます。これからも、どうぞよろしくお願いします。