As far as first impressions go, Mia Yajima makes an excellent one. You can find her at reception, from Monday to Thursday, always with a smile on her face and ready to help.
“I enjoy working at BEC because I get to see lots of smiling faces every day. Staying active keeps people happy! I also appreciate words of wisdom and life stories,” she says. Since beginning her role about three months ago, Mia says she’s enjoying getting to know the community. “I’d love to have more opportunities to listen to our clients' amazing stories,” she says.
Mia grew up in a traditional eastern suburb of Tokyo, Japan, where her family has lived for more than 100 years. She lives locally and has two teenagers “who keep me entertained” - Toan (15) and Hana (11). Before having a family, Mia was a financial correspondent at Nikkei Newspapers, then, once her kids started school she worked as a project coordinator for big makeup brands and travelled the world with makeup artists.
In her spare time, Mia likes to pursue passion projects.
“I’m currently working on miso making and pickling veggies with the Japanese traditional fermentation method. I want to keep this method alive in my family and hopefully in Australia.”
Mia also loves plants: “I wouldn’t call myself a green thumb, my father is. He volunteers (gardening) for neighbours and the nearby temple where my ancestors rest. I love the healing properties of plants.
"Oh did I say I love swimming? As soon as I hit the water, all my stress melts away."