Shaping her future self: Chinatsu’s story

Among many choices for education, Chinatsu Komada decided to move to Tasmania for her final two years of high school.

While Tasmania was not among the first options, Chinatsu said everything changed after the presentation about Scotch Oakburn College (SOC) at a school fair in Tokyo.

“I remember seeing images of the campus, especially Scotch Oakburn Park, with its tennis courts and footy fields, all surrounded by beautiful nature”.

“From that moment, Tasmania no longer felt like a distant place, but somewhere I really wanted to go”, she shares.
Reflecting on her journey, Chinatsu is excited sharing the memories she cherishes from both her school and life in Tasmania.

Before moving to Launceston, Chinatsu was not sure about what to study in University after school. Her learning experience at SOC helped Chinatsu explore the love for physics.

”At SOC, there are many science labs where I could actually do physics experiments”, Chinatsu shared. This created a good foundation for Chinatsu to nourish her interest and continue pursuing her dream later on at the Australian National University.

Beyond the classrooms, Chinatsu and her schoolmates had opportunities to go on camping trips in the wilderness and do river crossing. These experiences, she says are hard to find in Tokyo.

When asked about a favourite memory, Chinatsu expresses gratitude towards the kindness of the Tasmanian community.
In the early days, Chinatsu found it lonely to be away from her family. She shared fond memories of being welcomed by her friends and their families to their homes for comfort and food. “They welcomed me so kindly and made me feel at home”, she shared about her first few months in Tasmania.

Chinatsu also recalled a story about how a friend showed her the joy of Australian football. She used to be scared of watching footballers playing tackles. However, she started to enjoy watching the sports after her friend explained the rules to her.

Chinatsu also found the joy of trying out new things, and one of them was volunteering. The opportunity of helping out at the Cancer Gala Ball motivated her to spread the spirits of kindness to more people in the community. Throughout her time in Tasmania, Chinatsu also volunteered at a second-hand shop in Launceston. She expressed her appreciation for the culture of lending a helping hand in Australia, and how it has taught her to become who she is today:
“I decided to become the kind of person the Tasmanian community has taught me to be - someone who is open to take on new challenges, who accepts others and who can help those in need.”

Chinatsu confessed that there were so much that she loved, including her school, her friends, her teachers, the boarding house and Tasmania as a whole. She admitted that it was bitter to say farewell: “In fact, I didn’t want to leave”. She added, “Two years of studying in Tasmania has truly been the best years I’ve ever experienced!”.

Chinatsu encourages Japanese students who enjoy living closer to nature and experiencing the wilderness to choose Tasmania. She recommends Tasmania as a great place with adorable and unique animals, and wide-open landscape for those who dream of wandering freely across the vast terrain.