Year: 2017

郡司 まり香 Marika Gunji-Yoneoka

A hardware engineer based in Silicon Valley. She moved to the United States in 2006 and earned a PhD in Materials Engineering before working as a process engineer in semiconductor memory. Aside from spending two years in Boston during early childhood, she was born and raised in Japan. This year, she experienced her first career change and is set to work as a process engineer in display technology at her new company. Recalling her graduate advisor’s words, “Connection is everything!”, she says the phrase resonates strongly with her during this career transition. Her motto for using English—especially at work—is: “Speak clearly, loudly, and with simple words.”

井清 桜 Sakura Isei

Originally from Kagawa Prefecture, she moved to the United States at age 11 due to her father’s job transfer and spent seven years attending a local school in New York. After returning to Japan, she enrolled in and graduated from the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Sophia University, where all classes are conducted in English. She began her career at a major financial institution in Tokyo, working in a generalist position. Questioning Japan’s work culture while also realizing her declining English proficiency, she decided to pursue a career change in the United States. She is now working as a flight attendant for United Airlines. Instagram

井清 蘭 Ran Isei

Born in 1992 in Higashikagawa, Kagawa Prefecture. In 2003, she moved to the United States due to her parent’s job transfer and began attending a local school in New York from sixth grade. In the fall of 2010, she entered Sophia University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts and relocated to Tokyo. As a student, she founded a college club and organized various events. In her senior year, she took part in an American Airlines recruitment event held in Texas. After graduating, she completed nearly two months of aviation security training and officially began working as a flight attendant in the spring of 2015. Since 2016, she has been based in Los Angeles.