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My name is Miyo Iwamatsu and currently I am employed by the National Trust of Australia and working
at the Como historic house and garden.
I started Deakin University in the year 2001, while I was working
at the government secondary college
as a multicultural education aid.
I came to the open day and I was so much inspired for the introduction but still I was not ready
to just apply for a course.
I had a couple of months to think carefully.
Do I really want to do this or shall I just go back to Japan.
And then, of course, 3 or 4 months later, I decided to take the museum study course.
That was the year 2003.
English is not my native language and, of course, it's not our official language in Japan so -
accent is different, intonation is different, this gave me a lot of pressure.
How can I express myself?
Do they understand me?
And this is my big challenge for me.
Of course, during the course research, writing or reading - a big change for me - especially
Academic writing was the one.
Deakin student service helped me a lot.
The level of support or the follow up was incredible.
I was so much encouraged and was so much influenced this graduate certificate
and then diploma opened up different kind of opportunity, such as freelance translating and
the interpreting services, and also preparing the education materials for program
in language other than English - Japanese for my case.
So I provide
some Japanese learning materials.
Once you seek your pathway, you find it, and you will be able to learn what you want,
and I was really lucky because I got the support from my family to accept the offer, the position
in Australia and
it leaves me expand my experience and study abroad.
Yes, it's a really, really lucky for me.
I did not expect my qualification leaves me this great opportunity, working for the National
Trust of Australia.
That's really fantastic, but I'd like to stay in Australia in a longer time and achieve
to be a resource person at the international level so that I can take advantage of being Japanese.