When Michelle Barajas-Perez came to Stanislaus State as an undergraduate student in 2018, she dreamed of earning her criminal justice degree and becoming a detective. While she remains fascinated with criminal justice, it was her curiosity in international studies that led her down a far different career path.
Barajas-Perez now works in Tokyo — more than 5,000 miles from her hometown of Los Banos — in the Foreign Human Resources department for SociOak Group’s Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) division. After studying abroad as a Warrior in 2019, Barajas-Perez became an ALT in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (JET), providing support for Japanese educators and teaching students English through cultural lessons, games and activities.
The ALT experience came after an eventful four years at Stan State. Barajas-Perez participated in the University’s international exchange program, experienced remote and hybrid learning upon the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, and immersed herself in multiple fields of study, eventually graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and minors in criminal justice and psychology.
“There were quite a few things about my college experience that I would never have expected to happen when I first enrolled,” said Barajas-Perez.
A common theme in her higher education journey was exploring the unknown, a characteristic that played a significant role in her interest in becoming a detective.
Lissett De La Cruz, a specialist in Stan State’s Office of Community Engagement and Belonging, met Barajas-Perez in 2018. A first-generation Mexican American student described by De La Cruz as quiet and reserved, Barajas-Perez decided to get involved on campus by joining the Chicanos Unidos for Academic Achievement (CUAA), a leadership club that has been a part of planning the University’s Chicanx Graduation Celebration. The desire to get involved and explore what Stan State had to offer translated into the classroom.
Amid completing her general education requirements, Barajas-Perez recalls sitting in a communication studies course when a classmate enthusiastically began sharing details of an upcoming trip to study abroad in Japan. It prompted her to sign up for a Study Abroad Information Session, where she learned about the cost of living overseas, financial aid and scholarship availability, educational opportunities and more. Soon after, she became a student assistant in the Office of International Education.
“It was a unique experience that really helped me connect to international students and motivated me to apply to work abroad,” Barajas-Perez said. “After attending the information sessions, I learned that the Japan program was one I could afford. I had never been there and didn’t know much about it. I had never flown on a plane before. I had never even been to an airport. Still, I just said, ‘Why not?’”
During the fall 2019 semester, the college sophomore took the long flight to East Asia and began attending courses at the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. There, she completed her general education requirements while also experiencing Japanese culture and its kizuna, or community bond.
“I loved everything about Japan,” Barajas-Perez said. “The people went above and beyond to make you feel welcomed and to help you with whatever you need. That kind of community is so amazing.”
Barajas-Perez returned to Turlock right before the COVID-19 pandemic. Navigating a new virtual learning format while still deciding on her career path, she continued her studies in the criminal justice and psychology programs, as well as her Spanish major.
“If I was going to become a detective or work for the FBI, I wanted to have that psychology education and backbone,” she said. “I also wanted to learn another language to support myself. I grew up speaking Spanish at home, but I never actually studied it in school, except for one year in high school. I really wanted to be fluent, not just speaking, but in writing and reading. I took the challenge at Stan State when I had the opportunity.”
“She went to study abroad and came back much more confident,” De La Cruz said. “I loved seeing her growth. When we returned to campus after COVID, the CUAA was not active. She was just starting her senior year when she put in so much effort and energy to get it going again. She brought it back and got it active and helped plan her own Chicanx Graduation Celebration. She is such a great leader and was able to tackle so many obstacles.”
Nevertheless, the love Barajas-Perez had for the Japanese community and their culture remained strong as she approached her graduation in fall 2022.
“I felt like I still had so much to learn and explore in Japan since I was a student there for such a short time,” she said.
It led to her applying and being admitted to JET’s assistant language teaching program, using the skills gained through her undergraduate studies and involvement in CUAA to teach a cohort of junior high school students in Osaka. Her skills, experience and dedication earned her the full-time HR position she holds today, helping others spread their knowledge across oceans.
Barajas-Perez is tasked with interviewing prospective ALTs, domestically and abroad, and supporting them through the onboarding process. She helps candidates navigate the visa application process and places educators at schools across Japan.
“It’s really rewarding to help people who are in similar shoes as I was, wanting to be involved in education overseas,” Barajas-Perez said.
Having experienced firsthand the impact of strong mentorship and institutional support during her own study abroad journey, Barajas-Perez eventually hopes to work in a university international programs office, paying forward the guidance that helped shape her academic path.
“I want to be able to provide resources and create events for students who want to experience international learning, because I know how important it was for me, but also how difficult the process was to navigate at first,” she said. “The team at Stan State helped me understand the process, so having that kind of support is something that I want to give back and provide in the future. With the work I’m doing now, it’s giving me a general idea of what I need to do when it comes to assisting students at the university level.”
In Japan today, and wherever she finds herself next, Barajas-Perez wants to encourage others to step out of their comfort zone and dream beyond borders.
“You never know what will happen until you try,” she said. “Don’t let fear run your life, because if I didn’t go to the international office at Stan State, I would have never gone to Japan, and my life would be completely different. It can truly be life changing.”
