- Reina Imai Third-year student Department of Education and Child Development, Faculty of PsychologyReia Imai is from Shizuoka Prefecture. Since childhood, she has harbored a desire to work in a field that helps others. This, combined with her interest in psychology, led her to the Department of Education and Child Development in the Faculty of Psychology. In her second year, she chose the Special Needs Support Course, focusing on disability sciences while studying psychology and education. Another interest since childhood has been Japanese culture. To experience its allure firsthand, she practices stage combat and tea ceremony, and she also visits sword exhibitions.
“For someone else” means “For my own better life”
2024.09.18
Reia Imai cites “diversity” as the appeal of Meiji Gakuin University. She says, “There are various faculties and departments, and everyone has their own interests and passions. I really like the atmosphere, where we mutually respect each other’s pursuits.”
She chose Meiji Gakuin because it had a Faculty of Psychology, where she could pursue her interest in psychology while also obtaining a teaching license. As she studied the three fields of psychology, pedagogy (primary education), and disability sciences, she gradually deepened her understanding of disabilities and became increasingly interested in the education of children with disabilities.
Imai, who says, “I believe I can truly internalize knowledge only through actual experience, so I want to do as much as I can,” actively participates in volunteer activities both on and off campus. Those activities include working as a support staff at elementary schools, reading to children as part of her club activities, and taking notes in classes for students with hearing impairments. “While volunteering and support are about helping others do what they want and live better, I believe they also give something back to me. I understand it as doing something for someone else, leading to a better life for myself as well.”
Now in her third year, Imai has started thinking more concretely about her future. “My desire to help others hasn’t changed, but I feel that this desire has grown stronger through listening to professors in various classes and through experiences in practicums and volunteer work,” she says. She shared her experiences so far, what they caused her to feel, and her future goals.