Meet our Students

1. What is your full name?
Aki Nakabayashi.

2. What country do you come from?
Japan.

3. What is your favorite place in Seattle?
Safeco Field because whenever I go to see the Mariners game, I am excited by the atmosphere of the stadium and audience. Fortunately, the Mariners win every time. It makes me happy and makes me like it more.

4. What do you enjoy most about Seattle Central?
At school I have the chance to meet international students, so I really enjoy meeting people and being friends with them.

5. What are your plans for the future?
After I get my A.A.S degree in Business Information Technology, I will get a job in the international education field in the United States or Japan.

6. What are the biggest differences between life in your country and life in Seattle?
Students in Japan are usually quiet and passive in class, and they are good listeners. On the other hand, students in Seattle are progressive and open. Whenever they have questions, they don't hesitate to ask. Also, the relationship between teachers and students in Seattle is closer than it is in Japan.

7. What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishments? Why?
My biggest accomplishment is to be able to figure out what I want to do and be able to get a job relating to my future goal on campus. The reason I decided to come here was I wanted to study English more, but I found out that was not the main reason I came here. I could experience different fields and challenge myself.

8. What do you consider to be an interesting fact about you?
When I was a child, many people thought I was a boy because of my voice. I have had a husky voice since I was born. My father and mother don't have a husky voice, so I don't know why only I have that kind of voice in my family. Now that I am older, I don't care what people say about my voice, but when people said my voice was really low and like a boy, my little heart was hurt when I was a child.

9. What are your hobbies?
I like to make glass works such as plates, cups, vases, and bowls and to see professional art glass works. I am fascinated by glass arts, so I learned how to make them in Japan. Right now I don't have a chance to do this in Seattle, but I enjoy visiting galleries and seeing wonderful glass arts. Also, I like to play tennis and swim.

10. What were you doing prior to coming to Seattle to study at Seattle Central?
I was working at a telecommunications company for five years. I worked there to improve the cell phone's quality. I liked to work there; however, I wanted to expand my career field, so I decided to come to Seattle even though it was hard for me to quit my job.