School: Jackson-Reed High School

Grade: Rising Senior (kind of)

Future Career: International Relations

Fun Fact: I dream vividly every night.

Why I Joined:

I’m interested in other cultures in general, but Japanese culture has always especially interested me because of its distinct history as a closed-off island nation and its rich, unique cultural exports and media. To learn more about Japanese culture and history and meet people who are also interested. I’m excited to take everything I learn and use it to create something meaningful.

Personal Statement:

Growing up in a multicultural city, exploring other cultures has always been a part of my life. Even going to a bilingual elementary school where I learned Spanish to meeting people from all different parts of the world throughout the rest of my years in school, I’ve continued to enjoy learning about the world day by day. I came to understand that even though people are categorized and separated all the time by their identity and culture, we are all the same at a fundamental level, and it is those cultural differences between us that makes life beautiful. I want to continue to expose myself to the world, and learn from people who are different than me. This led me to want to pursue a potential career in the field of international relations. Through Japan in DC and other things I’ve been doing, such as traveling in the past and moving to a new country in the future, I want to build the knowledge and skills required to be successful in the future, and never want to stop learning about what it means to live in a multicultural society.