CAMP ZAMA, Japan – On the last day of their four-week internship program here, the Japanese college students who had participated earned high praise from the U.S. Army Garrison Japan commander for their efforts.

In his remarks at the interns’ graduation ceremony held Sept. 1 at Kizuna Hall, Col. Marcus Hunter told the students they were part of the program’s best and most successful iteration yet in its 10-year history.

Indeed, an unprecedented 34 students from 26 universities throughout Japan joined the garrison’s internship program this year — the most participation since it began in 2013. There were so many applicants, in fact, that an interview process had to be held in order to determine who would be chosen for the program’s limited slots.

The program was developed to immerse Japanese college students in an environment in which they can gain professional experience in a joint work environment while developing their English-language skills.

Ryuji Hori, assigned to the USAG Japan Public Affairs Office, was the coordinator for this year’s program and credited its continuous growth to a combination of technology and word of mouth.

“The program’s visibility has increased over the years thanks to social media and [previous] participants sharing their experiences with their schools,” Hori said.

Hori said he received a lot of positive feedback for this year’s program, both from the interns and the supervisors and employees in the 24 offices throughout Camp Zama that participated. The work the interns did in a variety of fields — marketing, engineering, science, emergency services, graphic design and journalism, among others — made this year a win-win, Hori said.

“Each intern becomes a member of their respective team, so their success is a critical factor in the success of the program,” Hori said. “Without the teamwork between the interns and their host offices, the program will not be as successful.”

Chihiro Suzuki, a sophomore at Toyoeiwa University who interned at USAG Japan Public Affairs, said she thought participating in the program would be a good cross-cultural experience, taking the fortuitous opportunity when previous plans to study abroad fell through.

Suzuki wants to be a writer, and she became determined to intern at Public Affairs after she read the job description for the position there. During her time working in the office, she said she gained much more experience than she expected, learning about the many aspects of PA operations, including translation and interpretation, community engagement, event coordination, and print and video journalism.

As she started working and gaining a better understanding of USAG Japan’s mission, Suzuki said she realized the significance of the role Public Affairs plays in helping to achieve it. She became a part of that when she helped coordinate a volunteer visit to a nearby orphanage and then wrote and published a news article on the event.

“I did everything to the best of my ability and I felt a sense of accomplishment, especially because my dream of becoming a writer came true,” Suzuki said.

Being given such important tasks, as well as the guidance and support to take them on, was a lasting experience for her, Suzuki said.

“What will remain in my mind is that the PA staff entrusted me with such a big project,” she said. “I felt proud to be given so much more responsibility than I had imagined, and while I did feel the pressure of meeting a deadline, I was able to make it through with the support of my office.”

Another amazing experience for Suzuki was being able to attend meetings the PA staff held with various partner organizations because she said it gave her the chance to see the many ways in which the office works toward establishing and building positive relationships with the U.S. Army’s host nation in Japan.

“My time in the program ended up being a unique and valuable experience that I’m sure I would not have been able to gain anywhere else but here,” she said.

Her supervisor and co-workers treated her professionally and provided a friendly atmosphere in which she could communicate easily with them, Suzuki said. They also provided her constructive feedback on the many projects she helped carry out, she said.

Kenji Toyomura, the deputy chief of Public Engagement for USAG Japan Public Affairs, spoke highly of Suzuki’s abilities and said she could be trusted with tackling even challenging and complex tasks, and he would like to work with her again if given the chance.

Ayano Yoshida, a junior at Sagami Women’s University who interned at the Directorate of Emergency Services, applied for the internship because of her childhood dream of becoming a police officer.

While working at DES, Yoshida said she got to see a broad picture of the many things military police officers do, from responding to emergency calls and enforcing traffic violations to regular equipment maintenance and even the coordination they do with the on-base fire department.

“I am grateful that I got to be part of the MPs’ daily operations, and I enjoyed every aspect of it,” Yoshida said. “Every Soldier, co-worker and supervisor was very friendly and they provided a work environment that felt safe and enjoyable.”

Working in DES helped her gain a deeper understanding of the joy of helping people, and it inspired her to pursue a career in protecting people’s lives and safety, not necessarily limited to the police.

Her experience was so fun that Yoshida said she felt like the program was over in a split second even though it lasted a month. In that time, Yoshida said she built a bond and sense of trust with the DES team.

“This was an experience that money can’t buy,” she said. “I couldn’t be happier with my time here and with the great people I worked alongside. This is exactly the type of job I want to pursue in the future.”

William Peppard, the deputy director of DES, was Yoshida’s supervisor and said she had a strong work ethic that demonstrated a sense of dedication, reliability and commitment to excellence that not only benefited USAG Japan, but will also set the foundation for her future career success.

“The interns often bring fresh ideas, new perspectives, and up-to-date knowledge from their recent academic experiences.” Peppard said. “Working with the interns provides more experienced employees with the chance to mentor and share their knowledge, and this becomes a rewarding experience to help reinforce their own understanding of the work they do.”