The entire Harry Potter series. Three published books. Hours of study. Years of dedication. Grandmother. These words help describe Mika Katsura, but there’s so much more I can say about this incredible lady.
I’ve taught English for more than 20 years now and, above all, the thing I love most about my job is the people I meet. I’ve taught students, entrepreneurs, doctors, managers and even a judge. Seeing them grow and achieve their goals always inspires me. Some, amaze me.
When Mika walked into Smith’s School of English in Hirakata back in 2002, I remember thinking to myself, “She’s very chatty” but like many learners of English here in Japan, she needed practice to smooth out her English. She did that and more. She listened. She took notes. She studied hard. She got so good that I suggested she try reading Harry Potter to help her improve her vocabulary and grammar. She did that. She got so good that she read books 5 and 6, a total of 1638 pages, in just one month.
But what amazes me most about Mika isn’t English ability but rather her dedication to constant improvement. Many people talk about doing something. Mika is the kind of person who doesn’t just talk about doing something, she does them.
Mika’s living proof that you can achieve anything you decide you really want. Considering that she started studying English at the age of 52, you really must tip your hat to a woman who has gone on to write three books in English and Japanese.
Writing three books would be an incredible achievement for most people but for Mika, I feel it’s just the beginning.
Keep up the great work.
Adrian Shepherd
ps. for those people interested in finding out more about Mika and just how she got where she is today, check out her books here
– The Greatest Gift (http://amzn.to/19gyeCd)
– The Call that Changed My Life (http://amzn.to/1563l6k)
– Grandma, what do you want to be in the future? (http://amzn.to/1drFjCY)
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