This experience has been extremely impactful for me, and I’m grateful to Deerfield for giving me the opportunity to help Mr. Kanamori and the local community.
I now have a greater appreciation of my heritage, and my connection to Uozu, a place where I spent my summers growing up, has deepened. I also have a clearer understanding of some of my goals for the future. I will never forget the faces of Mr. Kanamori and the local kids, as I painted the last stroke, completing the playground. This is a feeling that I want to experience again, so I would like to continue to give back to the places that have formed me as a person.
Overall, I had a lot of fun, and I will cherish the memories I made with Mr. Kanamori and the local kids. Thank you to the Cost family for making all of this possible.
-Shogo ’25
