Hello, my name is Kenichi Baba. I have been a dentist for 20 years, practicing the last 15 years in Newport Beach. Approximately 70 % of my patients are Japanese and appreciate that my first language is Japanese. Being a dentist is a very rewarding, though sometimes difficult profession. I know I am helping our patients by educating them about the prevention of dental diseases and healing their teeth and gum problems. Improving the cosmetic appearance of teeth and changing our patient's lives is especially satisfying. It is nice to see the new smiles on their happy faces. I still have a connection with Asahi Gakuen in that each year I volunteer at the Orange Campus and do a tooth brushing presentation for the Pre-School children. Being a student at Asahi Gakuen had a positive influence on my future as you may see in the brief history I will share about my life.

I was born in Tokyo and grew up in Yokohama. I first came to the U.S. when I was entering 4th grade. My family lived in New York where I went to a Japanese language school similar to Asahi Gakuen on Saturdays. After 2 years, we returned to Japan and I attended Japanese public schools from 6th to 9th grade. After 9th grade, in 1974, my family was transferred again by my father's company to the U.S., this time to Irvine, California, and Orange County became our permanent home.

I attended Asahi Gakuen for 2 years, my 10th and 11th grades, after our move to Irvine. At that time, Asahi Gakuen existed only in Los Angeles, so on Saturdays we rode the school bus to LA from Irvine. In the beginning, there were about 7-8 students in my class, but gradually the class size shrunk and at the end of my second year there were only 4 students in my class. I was also the only one in my class from Irvine. However, I never felt “funny" going to Asahi Gakuen since I knew there was still the possibility I might attend college in Japan. As it turned out, I attended high school, college and dental school in the U.S., but I now realize that Asahi Gakuen has been invaluable to my overall education even though I did not return to Japan. Being fluent in both Japanese and English languages has been a great asset in my life and opened my eyes to immensely differing viewpoints.

When I was in 12th grade my parents allowed me to decide whether I would attend college in the U.S. or in Japan. Having lived in the U.S. was an advantage for a student when applying to a Japanese University. On the other hand, attending an American University seemed tough, although it seemed to offer many future opportunities. After much consideration, I decided to attend the University of California, Irvine, where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in biological science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology. I majored in these two subjects as I was very interested in learning about how humans function.

After graduating from UCI, I attended Dental School at the University of California, San Francisco. I chose dental school as it teaches a specialized skill that interested me and I felt it would provide me with a good profession here in America. After graduating from Dental School, I worked in predominately English speaking dental clinics for about 5 years. I then opened my current office, in Newport Beach, where I began seeing many Japanese patients, therefore using my Japanese language. In 2001, after many continuing education classes, I was awarded a fellowship status by the Academy of General Dentistry.

The message I would like to convey to the current Asahi Gakuen students is that attending Asahi Gakuen will be a major benefit in their lives. The working knowledge of two languages and cultures is extremely precious. This knowledge will enhance their lives by opening up doors for the future and by allowing enjoyment of two cultures in a very understanding light.