Japan-Palau Alumni Series: Vol.33- Ms. Berrous Rekemesik
2026/4/1
Ms. Berrous Rekemesik is an alumni of the Japan Government MEXT Scholarship’s Specialized Training College (STC) program. She was born in Palau to Mr. Rengiil Rekemesik and Ms. Ubad Ngirchomlei. The meaning of her Palauan name, Berrous is “Dream” and her younger sister is named Beltikelrreng which means “Love”. Ms. Rekemesik’s family lineage spans many states of Palau but she is most proud of being from Ngerbeched hamlet in Koror State.
Her primary education started at Koror Elementary School until she was around 8 years old. Her family then moved to Fort Drum, New York where her mother, who was in the military, was stationed at the time. Ms. Berrous continued her education at Black River Elementary School until the end of 3rd grade when her family moved to Minnesota where she attended Long Prairie Grey Eagle Elementary School. After a year in Minnesota, she returned to Fort Drum, New York where she attended Indian River elementary school until 2014. After her mother retired from the military, they moved back to Minnesota where, Ms. Berrous completed the rest of her secondary education at Long Prairie Grey Eagle Secondary School. During her last two years of high school, Ms. Berrous was able to join a program at her school that allowed for her to simultaneously take her high school classes and college courses for free from Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minnesota. She would attend her high school classes, and her schedule included free periods during which she attended her online college classes. In May of 2019, Ms. Berrous graduated with her high school diploma and her Associate of Arts Degree.
After graduating from high school in 2019, her family moved back to Palau. Ms. Berrous’s plan was to return to the United States to attend Colorado University. However, she changed her mind and decided to stay in Palau and work at the office of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) as an Assistant Clerk. During this period she heard about the Japan Government MEXT scholarship and with encouragement from her mother she applied for the Specialized Training College program and got accepted. Even though Ms. Berrous was not very familiar with Japan at the time, she knew that anime, which her friends had introduced her to, originated there.
Before her departure to Japan, she was able to learn basic Japanese from a tutor at the Embassy of Japan in Palau before her departure. At the time, there was covid, so her trip to Japan was delayed, in turn she had to take her first few Japanese language classes online. After Ms. Berrous arrived in Japan, COVID19 regulations were in effect, so she spent her first two weeks confined to her hotel room. She recalled that this period was when she felt the most homesick. Thankfully, she was able to connect with her family online, which helped her get through those first weeks.
The scholarship program required Ms. Berrous to take a one year Japanese language course at Osaka Japanese Language Education Center. She was first given a mock exam which results were used to place her in the appropriate class. For Japanese language, she started from the beginner level which is equivalent to Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N5 and worked her way up to N3 by the end of her scholarship program. Ms. Berrous said that it was easy to learn the listening and writing aspects of the language but it was challenging for her to speak the language.
She lived in a dormitory for the first year while she studied Japanese language at Osaka Japanese Language Education Center. After one year of Japanese language studies, Ms. Berrous continued on to Kyoto Computer Academy to study Business IT and graduated in March 2024.
As a student in Japan, she made friends with students from various countries and experienced living in a dormitory during her first year, where she had to share space with other students. Ms. Berrous tells us that she was most thankful for the Osaka Rotary Club members who donated rice cookers and 10 pounds of rice to the students, she continued to use this rice cooker for all three years of her stay in Japan. She also got to experience living in an apartment in Kyoto during her two years of study at Kyoto Computer Academy for her specialized studies.
Ms. Berrous found Japan busy but convenient, and admired the quiet manners and etiquette in public spaces like trains. However, her first trip to JASSO turned slightly chaotic when even their guide got a bit lost in the maze-like Osaka Station, highlighting just how crowded and confusing it could be. This made her nervous about using subways, so she and her classmates once walked 45 minutes to Osaka Castle instead. Over time, she became more confident navigating the system, discovering English signage and learning train routes and exits, which made traveling much easier.
Ms. Berrous shared that her most memorable experiences in Japan was visiting many of Japan`s beautiful landmarks in Osaka and Kyoto where she lived as well as other prefectures such as Shizuoka, Tokyo, and Kanagawa. Soon after Covid19 restrictions were lifted, she was able to attend the Gion festival in Kyoto, where she witnessed a huge crowd estimated at around 50,000 people who had gathered to see the festival. She enjoyed traveling with her friends from Pohnpei, the Solomon Islands, and other countries. She recalls the time she visited the Mt. Fuji area with her friends, there they were able to go to Fuji-Q Highland, a popular amusement park and also the Narusawa Ice Caves. They had to carefully plan their route to make sure they arrived in time for the buses and trains because the bus stops were so far from each other.
She also visited Amanohashidate, known as “the bridge to heaven,” in Miyazu City, northern Kyoto. She said that Amanohashidate was her favorite place to visit because it reminded her of Palau, with its famous sandbar and beautiful coastal views.
Just a few weeks before her graduation in March 2024, her family visited her in Japan and they visited Hiroshima and Miyajima Island together. Ms. Berrous enjoyed Japanese food and even says she liked unagi (eel) but her favorite Japanese food is tsukemen (ramen dipping noodles). Her favorite season is winter, which is why another one of her favorite places to visit was Shiga Prefecture where she was able to enjoy the snowy winter skiing with her friends.
Ms. Berrous describes her educational experience in Japan to be more focused on hands-on learning such as doing projects related to her computer studies and attending conferences such as the Internet Governance Forum 2023 in Kyoto. At the conference she learned about cybersecurity and data governance. Her classes at the Kyoto Computer Academy used Japanese language during lectures. However, there was always a teacher in the school who was able to assist the students using English language. She reflected on the convenience of technology and knowing how to navigate the internet using various computer apps which was useful for her especially when translating classroom lectures from Japanese to English. Her words of encouragement for Palauan students who are hesitant in applying for the Japan MEXT scholarship is, “just apply and see, it doesn’t hurt to try. You will not be the only one who doesn’t know Japanese. Other students just like you will also be there.”
After returning to Palau, Ms. Berrous was hired by the Embassy of Japan in 2024 as a Public Relations Assistant. She says that she enjoys her work because she gets to use what she learned about computers such as information management, data entry, and coding into practice. Her current work includes updating the Embassy’s homepage and social media, information research as well as coordinating events which she loves to do.
Her primary education started at Koror Elementary School until she was around 8 years old. Her family then moved to Fort Drum, New York where her mother, who was in the military, was stationed at the time. Ms. Berrous continued her education at Black River Elementary School until the end of 3rd grade when her family moved to Minnesota where she attended Long Prairie Grey Eagle Elementary School. After a year in Minnesota, she returned to Fort Drum, New York where she attended Indian River elementary school until 2014. After her mother retired from the military, they moved back to Minnesota where, Ms. Berrous completed the rest of her secondary education at Long Prairie Grey Eagle Secondary School. During her last two years of high school, Ms. Berrous was able to join a program at her school that allowed for her to simultaneously take her high school classes and college courses for free from Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minnesota. She would attend her high school classes, and her schedule included free periods during which she attended her online college classes. In May of 2019, Ms. Berrous graduated with her high school diploma and her Associate of Arts Degree.
After graduating from high school in 2019, her family moved back to Palau. Ms. Berrous’s plan was to return to the United States to attend Colorado University. However, she changed her mind and decided to stay in Palau and work at the office of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) as an Assistant Clerk. During this period she heard about the Japan Government MEXT scholarship and with encouragement from her mother she applied for the Specialized Training College program and got accepted. Even though Ms. Berrous was not very familiar with Japan at the time, she knew that anime, which her friends had introduced her to, originated there.
Before her departure to Japan, she was able to learn basic Japanese from a tutor at the Embassy of Japan in Palau before her departure. At the time, there was covid, so her trip to Japan was delayed, in turn she had to take her first few Japanese language classes online. After Ms. Berrous arrived in Japan, COVID19 regulations were in effect, so she spent her first two weeks confined to her hotel room. She recalled that this period was when she felt the most homesick. Thankfully, she was able to connect with her family online, which helped her get through those first weeks.
The scholarship program required Ms. Berrous to take a one year Japanese language course at Osaka Japanese Language Education Center. She was first given a mock exam which results were used to place her in the appropriate class. For Japanese language, she started from the beginner level which is equivalent to Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N5 and worked her way up to N3 by the end of her scholarship program. Ms. Berrous said that it was easy to learn the listening and writing aspects of the language but it was challenging for her to speak the language.
She lived in a dormitory for the first year while she studied Japanese language at Osaka Japanese Language Education Center. After one year of Japanese language studies, Ms. Berrous continued on to Kyoto Computer Academy to study Business IT and graduated in March 2024.
As a student in Japan, she made friends with students from various countries and experienced living in a dormitory during her first year, where she had to share space with other students. Ms. Berrous tells us that she was most thankful for the Osaka Rotary Club members who donated rice cookers and 10 pounds of rice to the students, she continued to use this rice cooker for all three years of her stay in Japan. She also got to experience living in an apartment in Kyoto during her two years of study at Kyoto Computer Academy for her specialized studies.
Ms. Berrous found Japan busy but convenient, and admired the quiet manners and etiquette in public spaces like trains. However, her first trip to JASSO turned slightly chaotic when even their guide got a bit lost in the maze-like Osaka Station, highlighting just how crowded and confusing it could be. This made her nervous about using subways, so she and her classmates once walked 45 minutes to Osaka Castle instead. Over time, she became more confident navigating the system, discovering English signage and learning train routes and exits, which made traveling much easier.
Ms. Berrous shared that her most memorable experiences in Japan was visiting many of Japan`s beautiful landmarks in Osaka and Kyoto where she lived as well as other prefectures such as Shizuoka, Tokyo, and Kanagawa. Soon after Covid19 restrictions were lifted, she was able to attend the Gion festival in Kyoto, where she witnessed a huge crowd estimated at around 50,000 people who had gathered to see the festival. She enjoyed traveling with her friends from Pohnpei, the Solomon Islands, and other countries. She recalls the time she visited the Mt. Fuji area with her friends, there they were able to go to Fuji-Q Highland, a popular amusement park and also the Narusawa Ice Caves. They had to carefully plan their route to make sure they arrived in time for the buses and trains because the bus stops were so far from each other.
She also visited Amanohashidate, known as “the bridge to heaven,” in Miyazu City, northern Kyoto. She said that Amanohashidate was her favorite place to visit because it reminded her of Palau, with its famous sandbar and beautiful coastal views.
Just a few weeks before her graduation in March 2024, her family visited her in Japan and they visited Hiroshima and Miyajima Island together. Ms. Berrous enjoyed Japanese food and even says she liked unagi (eel) but her favorite Japanese food is tsukemen (ramen dipping noodles). Her favorite season is winter, which is why another one of her favorite places to visit was Shiga Prefecture where she was able to enjoy the snowy winter skiing with her friends.
Ms. Berrous describes her educational experience in Japan to be more focused on hands-on learning such as doing projects related to her computer studies and attending conferences such as the Internet Governance Forum 2023 in Kyoto. At the conference she learned about cybersecurity and data governance. Her classes at the Kyoto Computer Academy used Japanese language during lectures. However, there was always a teacher in the school who was able to assist the students using English language. She reflected on the convenience of technology and knowing how to navigate the internet using various computer apps which was useful for her especially when translating classroom lectures from Japanese to English. Her words of encouragement for Palauan students who are hesitant in applying for the Japan MEXT scholarship is, “just apply and see, it doesn’t hurt to try. You will not be the only one who doesn’t know Japanese. Other students just like you will also be there.”
After returning to Palau, Ms. Berrous was hired by the Embassy of Japan in 2024 as a Public Relations Assistant. She says that she enjoys her work because she gets to use what she learned about computers such as information management, data entry, and coding into practice. Her current work includes updating the Embassy’s homepage and social media, information research as well as coordinating events which she loves to do.