Alumni Around The World

Our alumni are making their mark all over the world! We have alums in all 50 states and in 97 countries around the globe.

a visual representation of the above statement, a map of the US and the world with colored red areas to indicate the presence of alumni

Meet Yuhei Hikasa

Yuhei is a 2011 Southeast graduate who currently lives in his home country of Japan. During his time at SEMO, he became a huge St. Louis Blues fan and now has a bar in Japan featuring the Blues. Besides his bar, he also works for a hockey team as a translator and media support. Read on to hear more.

 

  • yuhei standing in a hockey stadium wearing a face mask and holding a camera
    Yuhei stands to the side of a hock rink with a camera in his hand to take photos of the game.
  • yuhei standing behind a table and proudly holding up an award/trophy
    Yuhei holds a trophy awarded to his team.
  • yuhei stands with a companion posing for a photo in his blue's jersy
    Yuhei and a friend pose for a photo in the stands at a hockey rink wearing their Blues team merchandise.
  • yuhei is out on the ice with his players coaching
    Yuhei joins his team on the ice.

What advice would you give to an incoming student?

Expect to have fun! Studying may be the most important but you must have fun whatever you do at SEMO!

When were you at SEMO?

2006 March to December, I was in the English language school at SEMO. 2007 January - 2011 May, Sports Management major.

Are you from where you live now?

I am from Japan, still live in Japan but different cities. Osaka to Sapporo now.

What are you doing now?

I am currently a freelance sports videographer. I used to own a sports bar inspired from my experience in the States.

Why did you choose Southeast?

To be honest, tuition was cheap and there is sport management program. I used Japanese agency called JAAC, has long relationship with SEMO that is why tuition was cheaper than other foreign students.

How did SEMO support you?

While I was there, SEMO gave me opportunities such as working part-time at Chartwells and working at athletic department.

Describe SEMO in three words.

Grateful, friendship, fun

What is the most important thing you learned at SEMO?

Communication. As English is my second language, it was hard for me to communicate when I arrived there. It took a while to figure it out. Meeting new people helped my communication skills have improved. Working at Chartwells and athletic department made my skills much better.

Who influenced you most during your time at SEMO?

Kent Phillips, who is coordinator of facilities and event management. As I worked for him maybe about a year, he taught me how to handle athletic events. After coming back to Japan, I used those skills at work in sports team.

What is your best college memory?

Working at athletic department. I worked for Kent as assistant. I met many people there.

What is your favorite thing about where you live now?

I get to watch many sports in the city.

a map of the U S with numbers in each state representing the numbers of alumni residing there

Meet Lennies Mcferren

Lennies graduated 2014 from SEMO and decided to take his talents overseas to play professional football. Now he is living his dream of playing ball as well as learning new cultures. Read more about his journey.

 

  • lennies wearing his football uniform and helmet, pointing and talking
    Lennies out on the field wearing his USA football uniform.
  • lennies wearing a blue and orange footbal uniform, holding the football to his chest and running
    Lennies clutches the ball to his chest while running for the end zone.
  • lennies, a young black man, stands on a lit football field wearing a red t-shirt
    Lennies celebrates a championship with his team.
  • lennies in his Southeast football uniform playing in a game against another team
    Lennies plays for Southeast against UTM

What advice would you give to an incoming student?

The best advise I can give to a incoming college student would be to believe in yourself, push yourself and you will be fine.

When were you at SEMO?

I was a student at SEMO from 2010-2014

What are you doing now?

What I am doing right now is what I have been doing the last five years playing professional football for the GFL in Ravensburg Germany.

Why did you choose Southeast?

I chose Southeast due to the free education offered to me from a football scholarship and the football program.My grandfather and uncle are also graduates of SEMO which also factored into my decision to attend there.

How did SEMO support you?

I found a lot of support offered to me from SEMO. Tutoring , academics advising, counseling, and whatever resources I may have needed at that time was available to me.

Describe SEMO in three words.

Three words that describe SEMO for me would be interesting, challenging, fun!

What is the most important thing you learned at SEMO?

The most important thing I learned in college would be discipline, having respect for time as I move forward in life is everything.

Who influenced you most during your time at SEMO?

I was most influenced by my family, they have always been supportive of my goals and dreams to never give up.

What is your best college memory?

My best college memory would be the day I walked across that stage to receive my degree, all of my accomplishments and hard work was wrapped up in that degree.

What is your favorite thing about where you live now?

The best thing about where I live now is the people are so much friendlier and learning the different cultures, the food is amazing too.

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