Hi, my name is Kohei Itai and I am from Tokyo, Japan. I am a senior at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, currently studying Business and Global Marketing. I also spent nine months (three quarters) abroad at the University of Washington as an international student before becoming an Integrated Marketing Intern at PacRim Marketing.

I found out about PacRim as I was searching for international marketing internships in Hawaii. Being Japanese, I was interested in the relationship between Japan and the U.S., which led me to apply for the internship program. During my three months here at PacRim, I was able to improve my translation skills and learned how to manage time accordingly. I also had the opportunity to participate in an international PR campaign from the initial stages. Through that experience, I was able to observe the process to fruition and deepen my knowledge about global marketing. My most favorite part about the internship was getting to know my co-workers and supervisors. Everyone was very friendly and not only guided me through work, but also taught me how to enjoy life in Hawaii.

With this internship, I realized that I want to help introduce and develop Japan’s presence in the global market. I am appreciative that I found out what I want to do in the future by learning from the people I met at PacRim, who come from all various types of cultural backgrounds. Overall, I had a good experience in the internship program at PacRim and would advise future interns to enjoy their time here.