“I was alone, I didn’t know anyone, and I couldn’t speak the language.”

 

Long before Satoru Yamaki became one of Oceanside’s leading creators and community builders, he stepped onto the MiraCosta College campus after just moving to the U.S.

 

Born and raised in Japan, Satoru always had dreams of experiencing new cultures and perspectives. He loved his home country, but he knew there was a world waiting for him to explore. So, when it came time to decide where to go to college, he had his eyes firmly set on the U.S.

 

“I remember searching for schools in California and coming across MiraCosta College,” shared Satoru. “I still didn’t know English so I used the Google Translate function to read about its programs and campus life.”

 

Satoru was hooked. His family didn’t have much money at the time, but he felt that MiraCosta College was the perfect place for him to grow as a student and a person. He quickly found a homestay family nearby in Vista and enrolled as an incoming freshman in 2007. Once on campus, Satoru made every attempt he could to connect with English speakers across campus and in the community.

 

Admittedly, those early days were tough. With limited English skills at the time, Satoru remembers every day being an uphill battle to succeed, both socially and in the classroom.

 

Shared Satoru, “I’m not normally a shy person but not being able to speak the language made it difficult to connect with people. I spent my first few semesters going to professors’ office hours during every break.”

 

He still remembers one early interaction with his reading professor. He was steadfast in his commitment to learning English quickly so Satoru decided not to take reading with the other ESL students. Instead, he was the only non-fluent speaker in his class and he approached his teacher about whether or not he could keep up. Recognizing Satoru’s desire to learn, she told him that it wasn’t about catching up with his peers but instead it was about “what you do and what you learn.”

 

And for those wondering, Satoru did more than keep up. He finished with an A in that class.

 

Within a few semesters, Satoru improved his language skills and relished in the new experiences he was having at MiraCosta. When asked how his experience on campus shaped his life now, Satoru was quick to point to the professors on campus and the diverse set of classes he took while enrolled.

 

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at first,” noted Satoru. “At MiraCosta, I was able to try different things and see what I did and didn’t like. Every professor was so nice and took the time to help me find my passion and achieve whatever goals I had.”

 

Satoru also loved the community he developed while he was a student. Once he mastered the language, Satoru loved communicating with his peers and found himself in search of community at every turn.

 

Today, he carries that passion forward as a business owner of Ikagai Artifacts. While he maintains a fulltime job working for a local manufacturing company, he spends as many hours as he can creating and selling his work from his storefront in Oceanside’s Artist Alley.

 

Despite the long hours, it’s a career he wouldn’t trade for the world. Especially because it fulfills his main passion in life—community building.

 

As Satoru explained, one of the biggest reasons he opened his own shop was to bring together and uplift his fellow creators and neighbors in Oceanside. He regularly hosts events and fairs that bring the public together to connect and be inspired by one another.

 

“There is so much more I want to create but when I look back I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do for my community,” shared Satoru.

 

He continued, “When I first arrived, I didn’t know anyone and I didn’t speak the language, but I knew I wanted to make a positive impact in the community. And I’m blessed to have the opportunity to be doing just that each and every day here in Oceanside.”