International student alumni, Sachiko Yokoi, shares how CEHD prepared her to become a professor

In 2007, I decided to move from Japan to Minnesota to pursue a PhD at the University of Minnesota, bringing my two-year-old son, Kotaro, with me. Juggling the responsibilities of being an international student and parent was both exciting and challenging. In 2012, I completed my PhD and began my career as a professor at Osaka University, Japan. Now. I can see how my experiences during my PhD years in CEHD prepared me for the work I do today.

More than a decade after earning my PhD, I remain in contact with my Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) professors. The connections I made with them are invaluable, as they continue to support and mentor me in various ways. My advisor, Dr. Kendall King, recently gave a plenary talk at the annual international conference the of Japanese Society for Mother Tongue, Heritage Language, and Bilingual Education, where she presented a cutting-edge overview of language policy research. Her talk was very well-received by the large Japanese audience. This year, I also received federal grant funding from the Japanese government and began my new research project on multilingual policies in Estonia. As I conduct my fieldwork, I find traces of the groundwork laid by my C&I professors in their Estonian immersion project. It is fascinating to see how their work may intersect with my own. I feel lucky to be part of the CEHD community.

While studying in C&I, I worked as a graduate assistant, supervising student-teachers. This experience helped me develop the skills I use in my current job, where I supervise a few student-teachers each year. The mentoring techniques I learned back then are something I still rely on as I help students prepare to start their careers in education.

I also worked as a research assistant at the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) and learned how to design, conduct, and present research in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Currently, I am involved in a large, federally funded research project at Osaka University, collaborating with professors in engineering. My ability to design and conduct SLA research has given me a unique role in this interdisciplinary project, particularly as we explore innovative approaches to integrating language acquisition and technology.

During my time in C&I, I received countless support from my friends. I remember having our Pomodoro sessions together, where we would work together and support each other to keep up with our dissertation writing. Even now, I host these sessions with my colleagues in Japan, trying to keep the tradition. "Mommy support group" was also the source of my strength, especially when we welcomed our daughter, Hana, into our lives. The friendships I made through these relationships remain some of the closest in my life.

In sum, whether through mentoring prospective teachers, conducting research on multilingualism, or collaborating across disciplines, the training, mentorship, and research experiences I obtained through CEHD have been essential to shaping the researcher and educator I am today. I am deeply grateful for the foundation I have built during my years at the University of Minnesota, as it continues to inspire my current and future endeavors.

-Sachiko Yokoi, PhD, 2012