GLOBAL AWARENESS: Growing up, I never knew what it was like to have a 5-day school week.  You see, I have attended Japanese School on Saturdays for my entire academic career since kindergarten.  I am very proud of my Japanese roots, and I am incredibly grateful to my mother for (somewhat forcibly) keeping Japanese in my life so I can definitively say that I am fluent in Japanese.  Even now, as a freshman in college, I go back home over the weekends to attend Japanese School so I can graduate. Since the Japanese school year is structured differently than that of the US, I am still a high school senior.  At first, I was afraid that my “college experience” would be negatively impacted by my determination to graduate from Japanese School. However, I refuse to give up my hard work from the last 12 years. Even after I graduate this year, I plan to stay involved with the Japanese Student Organization on campus.  I am already an OA in the club, and I intend to pursue a leadership position on the executive board in the future.

ORIGINAL INQUIRY: As a pre-law student interested in running for public office someday, I plan to take advantage of any internship opportunities or other experiences in Washington.  One I am particularly interested in is the WAIP program. While I am not dead-set on participating in it yet, I am very intrigued by it and would love to do it. I am also a part of Undergraduate Student Government, and I hope that I can take part in making real change on campus and possibly gain some professional experience with local legislators.

Outside of academic interests, I am keeping up with my violin in Buckeye Philharmonic Orchestra.  I look forward to performing with them, and staying in touch with my musical side through the stressful time that is college life.  

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT: When I tell people about my major, I am often met with looks of disbelief and confusion.  Because my major is so new, few people even know what it is. As an Integrated Major of Math and English, I hope to stay academically well-rounded.  As a pre-law student, I hope that staying academically well-rounded will serve me well in law school of course, but further in my future as well. This semester, all four of the classes I am taking are honors courses.  While this sounded somewhat intimidating at first, I can’t imagine having it any other way. Although taking ALL honors may become unrealistic and maybe even unfeasible in the future, having to take a class in a large lecture hall sounds like my worst nightmare.  I plan to continue taking as many of my classes as honors classes as possible, not just to keep myself academically challenge, but to keep myself in a productive learning environment for my learning style.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: I have always had an inclination to take on leadership positions and “take the reins” to get things done, so it was no surprise when I found myself applying to far too many leadership organizations and clubs week 3 of college.  I was accepted into USG, where I hope to be a part of something bigger than myself, or my class. I believe that being involved in USG will help me get closer to the very heart of this university, and being in a position where I can help make this university better for future students is very humbling.  I also hope that my involvement in USG will help me in my future when I want to run for public office by teaching me various skills in professionalism and navigating bureaucracy. I also applied to First Year Leadership Initiative, and look forward to growing as both a student and a leader in the small cohort of peers.  As a freshman, I may not find myself at the center of all things leadership, but I intend to cultivate my leadership skills during this year so I am able to contribute on a higher level in future years.

SERVICE ENGAGEMENT: In the recent years that I discovered my passion in politics, I have found that I am particularly passionate about women’s rights.  During the Involvement Fair, I came across a club called PERIOD at OSU. I was instantly interested in becoming a part of their group, and advocating for period equality.  The issues they talk about are pertinent to so many women around the world and even here in Columbus. I know I have a while until I can live out my Washington-dream of serving in Congress, I want to take part in making a difference where I can in the community around me, and I hope being involved in PERIOD will help me in that endeavor.