. >> reporter: oyama moved to japan when she was 10.t first, she attended a private brazilian school, but after her father lost his job during the 2008 financial crisis, life became more difficult, and she had to transfer to a local public school. she was the only foreigner in her class. in an interview with nhk in 2011, she expressed her loneliness. >> translator: in the beginning, i couldn't speak japanese, i was always alone, and couldn't understand anything in class. i kept thinking, what am i doing here. why am i still alive? >> reporter: even so, she continued to work hard and followed her father's words, if you put in the effort, you can accomplish anything. she mastered japanese and went on to college. after graduating, she worked at the manufacturing company but the idea of supporting children from overseas kept coming to mind. her friend told her it was possible to become a teacher in japan, even with foreign citizenship. she realized she wanted to become a teacher. >> translator: if i had been able to ask for advice from more