Greetings! My name is Michelle Terazawa and I am originally from the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas. I will be interning at Peace Boat US for the summer of 2013 and am very excited and humbled to be a part of this organization! I will be a senior at Michigan State University this upcoming fall continuing to pursue my Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities – Prelaw, Japanese and Spanish minors, and a specialization in Asian Pacific American Studies.
My ultimate dream in life is to work at the United Nations as an international human rights lawyer. My goals are to fight against human rights abuses, fight for human rights, and provide a strong and resilient voice for victims and for those who are permanently silenced while serving the international community. I am very passionate about topics such as sexual violence, gender based violence, refugee protection, torture and accountability, genocide, human trafficking, repercussions of war and crimes against humanity.
I enjoy traveling all around the world, exploring fascinating cultures, meeting people from all walks of life, and learning more about the mysteries and undercurrents of life.
“Love is the strongest force the world possesses and yet it is the humblest imaginable.” – Mahatma Gandhi
My name is Helen Hope Rolfe. This fall, I will be a sophomore at Connecticut College, where I study Japanese, East Asian Studies and Philosophy. I am so excited to be working for Peace Boat this summer because this amazing organization represents a culmination of all my passions: the performing/visual arts, renewable energies, “green” living, and—of course—languages and cultures from around the world, particularly Japanese.
For ten years, I was an active Girl Scout, a wonderful experience that I believe sparked my lifelong interest in world cultures and languages. Meanwhile, I studied Spanish, French and Japanese in school, and trained intensively in musical theatre and ballet. Now that I’m in college, I’m focusing more on writing and the ways in which publications can make a positive difference by raising awareness of hidden issues and telling the stories of repressed people.
I can’t wait to start contributing my energies to the amazing work that Peace Boat is doing every day, work that is changing lives around the world. どうぞよろしくおねがいいたします！
My name is Maria Gonzalez and I am from Nicaragua. I am currently studying Political Science and Economics at the University of Rochester. I became familiar with Peace Boat when the Ocean Dream was received in Nicaragua in 2012. I had the opportunity to meet Peace Boat staff and the awesome crew. I am really interested in humanitarian work and social programs, so I was thrilled to learn about how Peace Boat is an organization that advocates for peace and education. I believe that working for Peace Boat will give me the opportunity to get more involved in what is happening around the world and also have a wider scope of knowledge on current events. Furthermore, Peace Boat is an organization consisting of great people who I will learn a lot from.