March,1995
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From East Side to Far East,
Yadira Rodriguez Brings the Study of Japanese to Central
By Denise Caraballo
A love of language and world cultures has taken Ms. Yadira Rodriguez on a fascinating journey.
A 1989 graduate of Harding High School, Rodriguez traveled from the east side of Bridgeport to study at the prestigious liberal arts school, Connecticut College in New London. She spent a year studying in Japan as part of her degree program in Japanese studies. Last year Rodriguez returned to Bridgeport to teach Japanese and Spanish at Central.
"I was thinking of settling in New York City but I was so excited when I was offered the job to start a Japanese program at Central. I feel a connection to the city and I have a lot of pride about being a graduate coming back as a teacher," said Rodriguez.
When asked about the influence of her experience in Japan, Rodriguez said, "I learned a lot about the culture, but more importantly I discovered myself. I worked a lot of part time jobs because everything is so expensive in Japan. I was fortunate to have all good experiences. I worked as a hostess greeting people at a restaurant and I even did some modeling. I found that when dealing with the natives I was understanding, open- minded, curious, and constantly eager to learn new things."
"In America, we don't know a lot about the Japanese culture or any foreign culture for that matter and I think that's a shame because we would be more knowledgeable both spiritually and mentally. I want to share my knowledge of the language with other people because I enjoy interacting with them," she said.
As part of a partnership with Sacred Heart University, two students from Japan Naoko Murai and Hanako Muraoka, are involved in internships as teaching assistants to Rodriguez. "It's great for my students to learn from them. I can give them a foreigner's perspective on Japan, but Naoko and Hanako can provide more insights on the culture and language," said Rodriguez.
