It Takes A Village

A single mother for 18 years and an educator for 30, Yoko has traveled between the US and Japan for years. Her son was born of both countries, and totally fit into neither. Though it takes a village to raise most children, it took two countries to raise Yoko’s. It’s been her mission to learn how best to raise and educate bilingual/bicultural children—and she’s thrilled to share what she knows. As a single mother, Yoko started earning Master\u27s degrees in Japan and in the U.S. in order to raise her son internationally. Now, Yoko is working on her 4th and 5th Master’s degrees at Portland State University, in Educational Leadership and Policy and in Public Administration. She is also working on writing her personal statement to apply for my Ed.D program, which is her ultimate academic goal at the moment. Alongside her partners, Yoko has an educational business in Japan to assist with navigating students and teachers from Japan and the U.S. who would like to have international experiences in both countries. Yoko currently works as a graduate student peer mentor at PSU, and is also involved with the Student Activities and Leadership Programs.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/tedxportlandstate/1012/thumbnail.jp