2003 Distinguished
Alumni ~ Junki Yoshida
A Japanese immigrant, who went from living in a
used Plymouth Valiant when he arrived in the United States in 1968
to owning a multimillion dollar conglomerate, has been named the
recipient of the 2003 Highline Community College Distinguished
Alumni Award.
Junki Yoshida attended Highline from 1970 to 1973. He created
Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce in 1982 from his family’s 60-year-old secret
recipe for a teriyaki-based cooking sauce. Now sold worldwide, the
product led Yoshida to form his first company, Yoshida Food
Products, the first of 17 diverse companies that make up the
Oregon-based Yoshida Group, which has annual revenues of more than
$180 million.
Yoshida and his six siblings grew up poor, living solely off income
generated by the family restaurant. At 19, Yoshida decided to come
to the United States in search of the American Dream. Due to limited
English-speaking skills, Yoshida was denied admission to Seattle
Pacific University. He went on to enroll at Highline to study
English, where he taught karate lessons in exchange for classes. Now
54, the married father of three is also a motivational speaker,
seventh degree black belt, and an active member of his community,
donating his time and money to a number of causes.
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Last updated:
May 10, 2010
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