Despite never having formally studied the language before, I entered ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë's Asian Languages and Literature department as a first-year student in 2017 to study Japanese. Coming from a mixed family with Japanese heritage on my stepfather's side, I had grown up hearing stories about my family's time in Japan, which sparked my interest in Japanese language and culture. My first Japanese class at ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë was interesting and informative, and the small class size made it a lot of fun. The small size of the program also allowed me to form lasting relationships with professors who took a genuine interest in my academic success. During my second year, I studied abroad for one semester at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, and I enjoyed every second of it. During that time, I studied a variety of Japanese cultural topics, such as Korean and Japanese film, Japanese women's history, and Japanese work culture, while also doing intense Japanese language study five days a week.
While in Tokyo, I was able to meet and connect with my Japanese-speaking family for the first time—something I wouldn't have been able to do without my Japanese language education. When I returned to ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë, I realized I could graduate in three years with an Asian Studies major and a Japanese minor, and my advisors helped me every step of the way. I also completed the TESOL Undergraduate Certificate program so I could return to Japan to teach English.
In early 2020, I passed my interview with the JET Program and planned to return to Japan in the summer of that year. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, my plans were delayed, but I finally arrived in Japan in November 2021. I now work at a large public junior high school in Kobe.