Midshipman 1st Class Mark Roncoroni stands with his peers during the International Cadet Conference held in Yokosuka, Japan, March 3. Photo courtesy of Midshipman 1st Class Mark Roncoroni.

Midshipman 1st Class Mark Roncoroni had the unique opportunity during the conference to interact with students from international military academies. The conference allowed representatives from around the world to discuss different topics related to the status of their respective militaries.

‘‘There were at least 20 different countries there, such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom, China, Singapore, Phillipines and every place in between,” said Roncoroni, of 30th Company.

During the conference, Roncoroni, who is originally from Hope, N.J., debated the current security state of East Asia with his peers. He said it was definitely a learning experience, with some of the topics going a little over his head.

‘‘It’s good to be up-to-date on a lot of current events,” said Roncoroni. ‘‘A lot of things I hadn’t even thought about came up in conversation. It was really eye opening.”

Although knowledge of the English language was a requirement for the conference, Roncoroni noted that the level of proficiency varied with each attendee.

‘‘It really forced us to exercise our communication skills,” said Roncoroni. ‘‘It gives you a new found appreciation for your language.”

This isn’t the first time Roncorni has visited the country. In a previous semester, he took part in a language studies abroad program in Japan. He was selected to take part in the International Cadet Conference because of his knowledge of the language, and the recommendation of his superiors.

‘‘It was unbeknownst to me. I ultimately received an e-mail, and I was the first to respond for the trip,” said Roncoroni.

Roncoroni said he learned a lot from the trip, being one of only a few representatives from the U.S. and the only one from the Naval Academy.

‘‘The conference exposed us to different cultures. It’s a big part of the conference to learn about different military academies across the world,” said Roncoroni. ‘‘We spent a lot of time just talking to each other and learning about each other’s countries and academies.”

After graduation in May, Roncoroni will return to Yokosuka, Japan, as a surface warfare officer on board USS McCambell (DDG 85).

Going into the conference, Roncoroni said that he didn’t really know what to expect. He thought that the discussion would be the biggest part of the conference, but the most important part was the time spent bonding with his peers and learning a lot about other cultures.