“Hi, I’m Momoka. I first joined Sacred Heart in 1st grade and stayed until the end of 4th grade, and returned in the middle of 7th grade. I will be going to college in the US next fall!

One of my favorite memories at ISSH is winning spirit days as a grade. When everyone gives 110% of their effort just for the sake of being spirited with crazy make-up and clothes, it definitely makes us feel united because we’re working together towards the same goal. Whenever we were announced as the winning grade, it was amazing to see every single person’s face light up. In particular, I loved the spirit day in our sophomore year where the theme for our grade was Harry Potter. We all dressed up as Hogwarts students and performed a dance to a Harry Potter remix song during the spirit day assembly. I remember seeing the rest of middle and high school enjoy our performance, and how much fun our whole grade had while dancing.

The best excursion was probably the one in sophomore year to Kanazawa. I really enjoyed the modern art museum and the soft cream with gold leaf on it! I also remember getting to know a lot of people because of how much free time we had in our rooms.

I am thankful for the supportive community that exists here at Sacred Heart. The warm, friendly atmosphere allowed me to truly be myself, and I could challenge myself without being afraid of failure. I am proud that I can call the class of 2021 and everyone else who is part of Sacred Heart, my second family. I am also extremely grateful for the music opportunities at this school, including events or groups organized with other international schools. Through enriching experiences, such as performing at competitions overseas, I was able to realize that music is a strong passion of mine.

The biggest piece of advice I can give from my experience is to give anything and everything you want to, a try. At first, it might be scary to audition for a music group, run for a student council position, or take a challenging AP class. However, after all, you won’t know if your choice was right or not until after you’ve made it. In my freshman year, I auditioned for a bunch of music groups while not expecting to get in. But now I am so grateful for my freshman year self for having stepped out of my comfort zone to try new extracurriculars. Many of the precious experiences throughout my time in high school come from the time I’ve spent during those extracurriculars. If you have the slightest interest in something, you should take the opportunity while you can!” — Momoka