6 minute read
Joshua Pako
Class of 2011
Last year, 2021, would have been my ten year reunion since graduating from St Edmund’s College. Although COVID lockdowns prevented our class from reuniting, the fond memories of our schoolyard days remain. It’s not every day one is allowed to write about their life after their school days. Being able to write this article has given me the time to reflect on what I have achieved in the last ten years. In all honesty, my life is entirely different from what I had initially thought it would be. But I am grateful for where I have arrived. So, here is my journey. Among all the fond memories I have at Eddies, the first one that comes to mind is the basketball courts. I would spend every lunchtime running to the gym so that I could play. Basketball was my life. Every day of the week, I would either have some training or a game to play. I made it to the national competition twice for the ACT. I even went to America with the Eddies school team, played with and against players in the NBA, the Olympics, travelled the world for 3x3 or made other international squads. But once Year 12 came around, I had to make a choice. Do I continue basketball or pursue something else? Fortunately, I also had other interests. One of which was communication. Not your standard communication like marketing or telecommunications but instead with crosscultural communication, i.e., languages. An interest that grew during my time at Eddies. I was that kid growing up who would be fascinated, intrigued, and curious about what other people would be talking about at a shopping centre in another language. It felt like a secret conversation. Something only those two – at that time and place – could understand. This passion allowed me to move on from the game of basketball and head to ANU to further my studies. University was not what I had expected and I struggled a lot. But if there was one thing that Eddies taught me, especially being in Clancy house, nothing is too difficult for the strong – words that I strive for still to this day. So, after a few failed classes and changing my degree three times, I eventually completed a Bachelor of Languages majoring in the Japanese language. Many of you are probably asking what can one do with a Bachelor of Languages degree, and it is a fair question. I had left
university with the ability to speak another language. Although this was a fantastic skill in my eyes, it wouldn’t pay the bills. So once again, I went off to the University of Canberra to do my Masters in Teaching to hopefully inspire other kids just like myself to pursue language learning. It was after I finished my Masters that I decided to make a significant change and fly off to Japan, where I would then spend the next five years of my life. I moved to Japan to pursue three major life goals; 1) to improve my Japanese to the point of fluency, 2) to become
the best teacher I could be, and 3) to enjoy life to the fullest. I lived in a small rural town of only 5000 people for my first three years in Japan. The closest town – the size of Queanbeyan – was a 20 minute drive away, and between the two towns, there was nothing but rice fields. I was the only non-Japanese person in the town. I worked as an Assistant Language Teacher on the JET programme. I would spend my days going to different schools and helping Japanese English teachers teach. It was a memorable experience. Seeing the students’ faces whenever I would walk into the classroom still makes me laugh. I would walk into a Japanese classroom, angling my head so as not to hit it on the door frame and be met with strained necks, beady eyes, and slight fear. However, as soon as the class began, the students’ eyes would change from fear to curiosity, much like my eyes I had when I watched strangers talk in another language. I was definitely out of place but nonetheless, what started as a small teaching job assisting Japanese English teachers in Japan, soon became the avenue where I found my calling; education. I spent those first three years working predominately in a small high school of only 60 students, who all became like a family. Being in such a small rural town, you become part of a community and experience a whole new side of culture than what we see on episodes of Getaway. For a technologically advanced society, I would still have to write on a blackboard with chalk, try to book the only computer room running on Windows 2000 and also receive faxes from other schools requesting my assistance. So many fascinating stories that would require a whole other article to write. In my fourth year in Japan, I moved and became the Prefectural Advisor for all English teachers in the prefecture. My job extended beyond the classroom to developing conferences, translation, and interpretation for major events and being a key contributor to English language education within that prefecture. To summarise my four years, I completed the three goals I initially made to myself all those years prior. Now, I have returned to Australia and made it full circle. I have returned to the institution that raised me, cultivated me, and taught me to reach for my dreams – Edmund’s to the Fore – but this time as a teacher. However, this is only a momentary pitstop. At the time of writing this, I am preparing for my journey back to Japan to take on a full-time teaching position at a private school. Then from 2023, I will be working as a university lecturer at Yamagata University, hoping to one day inspire the students of the future in exploring the world and reaching for their dreams.
St Edmund’s College FOUNDATION
Inspired by the charism of Edmund Rice the St Edmund’s College Foundation (the Foundation) was established to give financial assistance to marginalised or disadvantaged families so that the cost of educating their sons would be alleviated.
Since its inception in 1988 the Foundation has supported the education of over 100 young men at St Edmund’s College in Canberra.
The Foundation’s aims:
• To support families who are experiencing financial barriers that may limit their ability to provide an Edmund Rice education for their sons. • To provide appropriate fee relief to ensure students have the quality education they deserve. • To support families who may be affected by difficult circumstances so students are able to continue their education at St Edmund’s College without disruption.
How to Donate
Contact foundation@stedmunds.act.edu.au or 6239 0673 and ask to speak to our Finance Staff for more information on how to make a donation.
Donations of $2 or more to the St Edmund’s College Foundation are tax deductible in Australia.
