Student Perspective: Kellogg Alumni in Japan

First and foremost, I would like to emphasize that I truly appreciate the fruitful relationships I have with Japanese alumni, who sparked my passion for Kellogg. Even before applying to Kellogg, I have enjoyed close interactions with generations of alumni including the president of Kellogg Club of Japan (KCJ) Yoshimitsu Kaji ’97, and it made me confirm that I am a great fit for Kellogg’s collaborative, student-driven, diverse culture.

Receiving the Alumni Club of Excellence Award in 2012, KCJ has stood out as “best in class” with its long history of community building and partnership with the school by continuously cultivating the entire Kellogg network, including prospective students, current students and the Japanese business community. For example, when I was a prospective student, I attended KCJ events such as TG in Tokyo and morning sessions (a speaker series). I enjoyed passionate discussions with alumni, culminating in intellectual exchange, sometimes through the night.

As a current student, I volunteered to help prospective and admitted students in Japan in collaboration with KCJ by matching each admitted student with current students and/or alumni ambassadors and helping to host Day at Kellogg Japan (DAKJ) for admitted students. Furthermore, I was one of the student leaders for Global Initiatives in Management (GIM) Japan/Korea and organized an alumni reception in Tokyo during the in-country trip. They gave us a warm and friendly welcome and were very excited about helping non-Japanese students understand Japanese business and culture, as well as hearing the latest updates about Kellogg. We also invited admitted students to welcome them into our community.

I feel very lucky to be a part of the Kellogg community throughout my life, as my experiences in the organization have created an organic network and breakthrough innovations. After graduation, I am willing to enhance Kellogg’s presence and vitalize the community by encouraging younger generations, especially young women, to explore their possibilities bravely, as many brilliant alumni have done for me.

Emi Yokoshima ‘14 is a second-year student in the 2Y Full-time MBA program from Tokyo, Japan. Prior to Kellogg, she worked at Tokyo Disney Resort on Theme Park Business Strategy/Product Management, Marketing/Sales Promotions and Investor Relations. Over the summer, she worked on new business development for the fashion category at Amazon, joined the Insight Program at McKinsey, and participated in Kellogg Corps for a consulting project to help a social enterprise in Belize. She is currently studying abroad as an exchange student at London Business School.