Lucky to Be Here is a podcast that showcases those who took the leap to build lives and careers across countries. They share their stories, their lessons, and their advice to show us what it means, and what it takes, to build a life and career abroad.

What started as hopping on a bus in Cochabamba became a life and career focused on international public service. Erick Gonzales Roach is a development economist with a Ph.D. from Kobe University and experience in international organizations; he resides in Geneva, Switzerland, where he works as an Economics Affair Officer.

Erick shares his inspiring journey looking for new opportunities and horizons that led him to become an international student, and eventually a professor, in Japan, until his most recent move to Geneva, Switzerland. He highlights the importance of perseverance, cultural adaptation, and strategic planning throughout his experience in international education and career development. He also shares practical insights on scholarship applications, cultural integration, and building a global career in public service. He is also a firm believer of the importance of sharing and opening spaces for more professionals from the Global South in development and leadership.

Keywords

international education, scholarships, Bolivia, Japan, Europe, public service, cultural adaptation, perseverance, career development, global south, boy scouts

Structure

00:02 – Welcome and Erick’s background intro

01:17 – Early influences and service-oriented motivation

02:23 – The Japanese scholarship as a life-changing opportunity

03:43 – Navigating the application process and cultural adaptation in Japan

04:51 – Thoughts on choosing Japan and language priorities

07:19 – The drive to generate real impact through education and development

08:45 – Asian growth models versus Latin American development

10:43 – The structured process of studying in Japan as an international student

13:05 – Cultural shocks and how he bridged Latin American, Japanese, and European perspectives

16:26 – Moving to Japan and initial impressions

18:23 – Facing challenges with a goal-oriented mindset

20:50 – Lessons learned from setbacks, stress, and acceptance

22:20 – Comparing education systems and resilience training

27:09 – The role of identity, competition, and self-acceptance

33:48 – The decision to leave Japan for Europe and new opportunities

35:05 – Embracing life balance and cultural enrichment in Switzerland

37:15 – Living in Europe and cultural integration

41:23 – Surprising elements of his international public service career

44:21 – Persistence and perseverance as vital qualities

47:44 – Advice to his younger self and future international students

Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC.

Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere for free to receive our episodes in your inbox with career development reflections and resources and to connect in between episodes. Subscribers also get access to behind-the-scenes updates and live chats with Analía.

Sponsored by Creative Colony Spaces.

Sponsored by Creative Colony Spaces.