Digital Interview with Seiko Lattison Conducted by English Program Faculty, October 2012

1) What year did you graduate and what was your area of emphasis?

2002. It was education, but switched to Literature (if I remember correctly, hahaha)

2) Where are you now, and what are you doing? 

Lincoln, NE. I am working as an Engineering Administrator at Japanese manufacturing company.

3) Could you tell us a little about the paths you’ve traveled since you graduated?
After I graduated from UW-P in 2002, I went to Portland State University, Portland OR to earn a Master’s Degree in Linguistics. However, classes in Linguistics were very boring, which made me want to change majors. Yes, I did change it to Education because I wanted to be a teacher. I graduated from PSU in 2004 and I got my current job in Lincoln, NE. I have been working at this company for 8 years. Yeah I wish I could have gotten a teaching job… I tried, but I didn’t succeed… too bad.

  

4) What are a couple of your favorite memories of your time at UW-Platteville?
-I lived in a dorm for my first year at UW-P. I didn’t have any friends besides one who came to study abroad from Japan with me. I wanted to make friends, so I decided to make “origami” for everyone in the same floor of my dorm, Hugunin and posted it on their dorm doors on the first day of mid-term exam to wish them “good luck.” I think this was an icebreaker!

-Since English was not my 1^st language, I had to study more than other students to keep up with them in class. I studied after midnight every day. One day, I wrote a message to my roommate if my staying up until late was not bothering her sleep. Since then my roommate and I exchanged letters quite often, and I still keep her notes.

5) Was there something you had to do here which you felt was a waste of time?
Everything was very new and interesting to me, and I don’t think I felt “waste of time.”

6) Is there a class or classes that you wish now you could have taken, but didn’t? If so, why?
Umm, I am not quite sure what kind of classes they are offering now, but if there was I wish I could have taken any classes for pharmacist. (Yes, I wish I could become a pharmacist.)

7) Did you study abroad? (Ha, ha, this is funny in your case... sorry again about the 'form interview.') If so, where and what were the high and low points? Yes. Studying at UW-P was a study abroad for me.

8) Can you tell us about one or two high points of your life since you’ve graduated?
I met a wonderful husband at UW-P and we now have 3 beautiful and adorable daughters. Now my company is supporting me in apprehending a green card and soon enough?! I will be a permanent resident! (Now I am a temporary resident).  

9) Do you ever write for fun? (If you do, can we follow up and interview you for our writing blog later on?)
No…

10) What made you want to go to graduate school? Were there particular courses that helped you to prepare for it?
I wanted to be a professor back in my country. I thought being a professor required at least a Master’s Degree. Language and Culture helped me to prepare for it.  

11) Could you ask yourself another question about something you wished we had asked you about, and answer it?

What made you come to the States? Since I was a kid, I thought speaking English would allow me to communicate with a lot of people from various countries. I have been desiring to be able to speak English. When I was a student at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, I had an opportunity to go to the US. For a program, with other 20 Japanese students I took ESL classes for 3 weeks and travelled to the West from Iowa for 1 week. It was a very fascinating experience to me. When I stood on stage and read my essay at commencement for the program, I swore that I would return to this country.   

12) Is there another alum you think we should contact?

Does anyone have to be English major? Otherwise, I know other Japanese alumni, Shima, Yukari, and Noriko.

Seiko