Â鶹ֱ²¥

People of Â鶹ֱ²¥: Meet Kenta Shirakura

I first came here as an ESL student, studying English back in 2011.

I really liked Â鶹ֱ²¥ and my experience in Canada, so I decided to come back.

The social culture – how people react and behave in social environments – matched my personality more than Japanese society, so I really found my true personality when I came here.

I especially loved experiencing cultural diversity in Canada and being able to meet different people.

I’m very openminded and outgoing, which wasn’t really me back in Japan; it was kind of hidden. My personality changed when I came here.

My mom said she thinks I always talked a lot. That was an interesting one to hear.

In Japan, there’s no real cultural oppression, but in the classroom and social environments, I felt that. I always had questions about how things are done but I never asked those questions; you have to sort of accept what’s out there as what it is.

So, it was a very interesting feeling for me to come to Canada and experience openness.

In Canada, everyone has a different opinion. In the classroom, certainly, I felt that people would express their own opinions, and I learned there’s no one way of answering certain questions.

I really like that about living in Canada. People accept you as you are.

Through my experience working as an international student ambassador at Â鶹ֱ²¥, I really liked helping others.

It made me want to come work at Â鶹ֱ²¥, and I’m now in the college’s helping international students.

I want to enhance other international students’ experience by doing whatever I can to help.

Kenta Shirakura, alumnus of Â鶹ֱ²¥â€™s Hospitality Management – Hotel and Resort program (Class of 2015), which is now our Hospitality – Hotel and Resort Operations Management program. Kenta is also the International Coordinator with Â鶹ֱ²¥â€™s .

Check out Â鶹ֱ²¥â€™s Hospitality programs.

Want to share your story? Please contact socialmedia@georgiancollege.ca.
To read previous People of Â鶹ֱ²¥ stories, please visit our website,Ìý´Ç°ùÌý.