By Hallie Munsat

To start off, it’s amazing enough that I was able to do this program online, for free, at a time I was available. I am so so SO lucky for that. I definitely got more out of this program than I was expecting. I joined this program in the simple hope that I would be able to learn Japanese so I could better communicate with my friends in Japan. But it was so much more than that. It got me excited about continuing my study of Japanese language and culture. The program further affirmed my wish of going to Japan for a semester in college. I was able to dive deeper into Japanese culture, etiquette, and the history of Japan. I not only started to learn how to understand Japanese, but also how to properly interact and be within the culture which was incredibly helpful. I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to be in person and become closer with the people in a classroom, but I also know the teachers did an amazing job in bringing everything accessible to screen and supporting students throughout the program. It’s hard to learn a new language, but one of my favorite parts of the program was the guest speakers and tips that students gave to continue learning Japanese even outside the program. Now that I’ve gotten so much helpful information from this program, I’m more confident about continuing my Japanese study in any way I can. I am so grateful for this opportunity and I’m hoping to do something with it again.