A ceremony in what was previously known as Global Commons in the university's Global Neighborhood now bears the name of a 1920 graduate described as "a beacon of leadership and intellectual curiosity."
More than a century after Toshio Sato crossed the Pacific Ocean from Japan to attend what was then Elon College, her name now graces the heart of Elon University’s Global Neighborhood.
Elon leaders dedicated the Toshio Sato Commons on Oct. 10, 2025, as part of Homecoming & Reunion Weekend in a ceremony that recognized the university’s first international student and first four-year graduate from outside the United States.
Members of Sato’s family from Japan were joined at the ceremony by dignitaries of the Japanese government as well as executives from The Japan-America Society, the NC Japan Center at North Carolina State University, and representatives from Honda and Toyota.
Descendants and distinguished guests gathered with Elon University faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and students in what had been known as Global Commons to celebrate Sato’s remarkable campus legacy.
The early afternoon ceremony featured remarks by President Connie Ledoux Book, who described Sato’s story as “a testament to the courage, imagination and aspirations of a young Japanese woman who came to our campus, formed powerful and lasting relationships and established an ethos of global friendship and partnership that has remained strong across generations.”
Sato arrived at Elon in 1914 from the rural town of Wakuya, Japan, supported by church and community leaders who recognized her potential. She studied through the challenges of World War I and the global influenza pandemic, graduating as valedictorian in 1920. On campus she served as president of the Women’s Association for Self-Government, an early version of Elon’s Student Government Association.
“When Toshio arrived at Elon, she didn’t just survive – she soared,” Book said. “She became a beacon of leadership and intellectual curiosity on our campus.”
After returning to Japan, Sato lived through the destruction of World War II, losing her home and possessions but not her connection to the university she once called home.
“She rebuilt her life with the same quiet dignity and strength that had defined her all along,” Book said. “We live in a world that desperately needs more Toshios — more people who can reach across oceans and divides and appreciate the wonderful common humanity that unites us all.”
We live in a world that desperately needs more Toshios — more people who can reach across oceans and divides and appreciate the wonderful common humanity that unites us all.
– Elon University President Connie Ledoux Book
Book presented a gift from Elon University to each of Sato’s descendants during the dedication: A metal plate with an image of Toshio Sato Commons to display in their homes.
Among those family members in attendance was Sato’s grandson, Yusuke Kato, a physics professor at the University of Tokyo.
“Toshio never thought it would be for her to come back again to North Carolina,” Kato said in remarks delivered on behalf of the family. “Nor would she have imagined that her descendants would be participating in Homecoming week, more than 100 years after her graduation.”
Kato described his family’s visit as a reminder of the enduring ties between Elon and Japan. “We are attracted so much by Elon University and would like to contribute in some way,” he said. “We thank again all the people in Elon University for remembering Toshio’s pioneering role and leadership in her college days over 100 years ago.”
Chika Kusakawa ’09, an Elon alumna who helped the university reconnect with Sato’s descendants, recalled in the ceremony’s welcoming remarks how she first learned as a student about Sato’s historical significance at the university.
“Reading about her success at the time gave me a quiet confidence — if she could thrive then, I could thrive now,” Kusakawa said. “Knowing someone like me had been on this journey had a profound impact. It underscores that representation matters. Leaders like her paved the way for people like me.”
Nick Gozik, dean of global education, said Sato’s courage continues to influence Elon’s approach to international learning. “What we call the present is given shape by an accumulation of the past,” he said, quoting novelist Haruki Murakami. “May Sato Commons continue to remind us that courage, curiosity and human connection are at the heart of education — here at Elon, and in the world beyond.”
Sato’s name is now displayed on a building that is home to the Isabella Cannon Global Education Center and the Elon Core Curriculum. The commons also includes classrooms, meeting spaces and gathering areas for students.
