Chantelle Matthews is due to leave her home town of Mackay at the end of March bound for Kwassui Women’s University, where she will study for one year, completely immersed in Japanese culture and language.

Chantelle is enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program majoring in Japanese at Central Queensland University (CQU) Mackay. Chantelle was one of six CQU students to receive the scholarship to fund her trip to Japan. The scholarship is contributed to by various organisations including the Department of Education Science and Technology (DEST) under the Cheung Kong student exchange program.

“By receiving a scholarship, I can concentrate more on speaking and studying Japanese. I won’t have to pay for anything, except a few small living expenses” said Chantelle.

Japanese program coordinator Takahiro Yokoyama said Chantelle is expected to have native like language proficiency when she returns to Mackay next year.

Besides checking out the cutting edge gadgets in Japan, Chantelle is most looking forward to the submersion in language and culture and the prospect of becoming native in the language she has a passion for.

“I really want to improve my Japanese and the next step in achieving this is to go to Japan and live there” said Chantelle.