[:en]On Sunday, March 5 and Monday, March 6 our 2017 TOMODACHI STEM students were able to participate in two special opportunities hosted by US-Japan Council members in Houston.
On Sunday, Donna Cole (Cole Chemicals/USJC) warmly welcomed our 10 students into her home for a networking brunch with Japanese professional women living and working in the Houston area. Over brunch, the attendees shared information about their career paths, life in the U.S. as a professional woman, and how they have tried to find work-life balance. Their stories proved truly inspiring for our students 
and helped them think more deeply about their own future career goals and objectives. The students really enjoyed this special treat and felt truly welcomed not just by Rice but by the whole community in Houston.
Many of our students wrote about the impact of this networking brunch in their Week 1 reports which you can read in their 2017 Participant Profiles.
Photo of the Networking Brunch hosted by Donna Cole ~ Submitted by Deborah Grant, USJC
Then, on the evening of Monday, March 6 our students had the opportunity to hear US-Japan Council Board Member Glen Gondo (Gondo Company/USJC) speak about his experience as a Japanese-American in the U.S. and learn more about his successful career in business. A number of students from the University of St. Thomas attended as well and after the talk the student’s go to tour the sushi preparation area 
of HEB. They also had the opportunity to watch the documentary “Off the Menu: Asian American” featuring Glen in his role as the acclaimed “Sushi King of Houston”.
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