Practices to Encourage Interaction Between Alumni and Current Students (Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior High School)

At Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior High School, we provide opportunities for students to interact with alumni in various aspects of school life, such as club activities, classes, and lectures. We strive to enhance students' awareness as Keio students and increase their motivation for learning. One characteristic practice among these is the initiative introduced below, which involves interaction between current students and alumni during science experiments.

In molecular biology experiments in the Senior High School (a required class for 4th-year students and an elective for 6th-year students), several alumni are invited as "Practical Training Supporters" several times a year. These alumni took "Life Science II" as an elective when they were in their 6th year. While many participants are undergraduate students who graduated a few years ago, it is interesting to note that they are not necessarily all students who went on to science departments. "Practical Training Supporters" do more than just assist with experimental techniques; they are also entrusted with giving presentations and talking with students during wait times during the training, playing a major role in the experimental classes.

For the presentations, we ask them to speak in a free format, keeping in mind the thought, "When I was a student, this is what I wanted to hear from my seniors." The content is diverse, including "memorable experiences and learning from junior and senior high school days," "worries when choosing a career path," and "introductions to current university life (or professional life)." Alumni who have gone on to science departments often present their own research, which captures the interest of current students.

The reason we ask for dialogue with students is that alumni are close in age to current students and share a common background of having spent their days at the same school. Through interaction with seniors who are in a position closer to their own, many current students frankly voice their future goals and concerns that they do not usually express. The teacher in charge says, "I hope that through these opportunities, current students and alumni can encourage each other and spend time that leaves them both feeling positive."

Some alumni continue to participate repeatedly even after becoming working members of society. Below is an essay from a student who is currently in the School of Medicine and has served as a "Practical Training Supporter" many times.

When I took "Life Science II" as an elective in my 6th year, alumni participated in the experimental training as supporters. I had the opportunity not only to receive guidance on experimental techniques but also to consult with them about choosing a department, university life, and future career paths. Being able to hear stories based on actual experiences directly from alumni close to my grade level was the catalyst for me to form a concrete vision of my career path. That experience remained strongly in my heart, and with the desire to "give back to my juniors someday," I have been involved in this class as a practical training supporter since graduation. I have participated four times so far, and in addition to the experimental training, I have had the opportunity to receive consultations from current high school students about their career paths and learning. Juniors I interacted with in the training later informed me of their choice of university, entered as juniors in the same department, or even returned to Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior High School as practical training supporters. I truly feel that learning is being passed down naturally across grade levels. This environment, where the roles of learner and teacher are not fixed, embodies Keio University's philosophy of "learning while teaching, teaching while learning." I feel great joy and significance in being able to face my juniors while returning to my starting point of learning at Shonan Fujisawa Junior and Senior High School.