Stories

Seizing rare opportunities – NN Japan volunteer

Yasuko Ogawa
Local General Counsel
NN Japan

I always wanted to contribute to educational programmes for young students. I have volunteered as a teacher’s assistant at an elementary school (for physically challenged class) in the USA when I was a college student. Rarely do companies in Japan provide such kind of opportunities.

[It is important for NN to be involved in such an educational programme because] we can provide an opportunity for younger students to get a glimpse of a real business world.
Entrepreneurial skills can be helpful in finding creative solutions, and in running a business more efficiently. They also help students understand that freedom comes with responsibility and I am sure students will find them useful if they decide to run their own business in the future. 

The excitement that I can feel among younger students reminds me of the enthusiasm I used to feel and of why I am doing what I am doing now.
Personally, what I gained from this experience is the different view point, which is new and fresh to me. It may be more of learning experience for my colleagues than for younger students.  This experience may be helpful in dealing with our younger subordinates.

It was also fascinating to see that the students at that age could have actually understood the hardships of the real world. But although they can come up with a great business idea that could serve people, it does not last unless it creates reasonable profit.
I did not participate in such a programme [when I was younger], but I would definitely like my children (if any) to experience such initiatives.