2023 Student Profiles
Japanese Studies Major
Biography
I came to Willamette having already decided to major in Japanese Studies. I first considered it during my freshman year of high school, when I befriended a Japanese exchange student at my school. During a month-long study abroad program in the summer of 2017, I noticed the immense amount of respect for both people and the environment in Japanese culture. The welcoming nature of Japanese people, the subtle yet intricate complexities of their language, and their consideration for both past traditions and future progress left me questioning my own approach to life. My plan is to study abroad via the JSP program at Tokyo International University during my junior year. After graduation, I will apply to graduate school with the goal of earning a Ph.D. in either Japanese Studies or linguistics. Ultimately, I would like to be a translator and / or interpreter for Japanese environmental scientists, in order to make their research more widely accessible.
Japanese Studies Major
Biography
Hi, I’m DJ Plumer from Las Vegas, Nevada, and I am a part of the class of 2023 here at Willamette University. The reason I decided to become a Japanese Studies major is because growing up I’ve always been really interested in the culture itself, seeing pictures of Japan, and my enjoyment of things such as anime drew me into wanting to learn more about the Japanese culture. I find it as something that I genuinely enjoy learning about and look forward to pursuing. Sadly, I have not yet had the chance to ever travel to Japan at all, but I definitely plan on studying abroad! In the future, I would like to play professional basketball in Japan, or pursue something in Japanese business!
Japanese Studies Major
Biography
Although I declared my major in my second year, I knew I wanted to major in Japanese studies even before I decided to go to Willamette. I’ve been fascinated by Japanese culture ever since I started taking Karate classes when I was seven years old. While as I got older I slowly fell out of practice in karate due to other life commitments, my passion for Japanese culture never weakened, and I owe that passion to karate. As for the major itself, I love that it has such a wide variety of courses to choose from, and has a healthy blend of traditional and contemporary topics, rather than leaning too far one way or the other.
Japanese Studies Major
Biography
I will be honest, my love for Japanese culture did start with Anime and Manga. When I was in 7th grade, a friend of mine gave me a Manga to read, and I have been hooked ever since. From that stemmed the idea that if I learned Japanese, I wouldn’t have to watch anime with the subtitles anymore. When I finally got the chance to start learning Japanese in 10th grade, I realized that I was attracted to so much than just the desire to watch anime. I fell in love with the culture and the deep and rich history that still runs through the daily lives of Japanese people today. My admiration for Japan stems from my desire to experience what it is like to grow up in a place with such strong historical and cultural roots that go back thousands of years.
Japanese Studies Major
Biography
I've been interested in the Japanese language and culture ever since I was little due to being half Japanese. My family doesn't speak any of the language, and we have very little of the culture, so I began learning around sixth grade. I was lucky enough to take Japanese classes in high school, and interact with Japanese exchange students at the time as well. It only made sense for me to major in Japanese as it's been a huge passion for a large portion of my life. I've only been to Japan once on vacation, and I'm excited to go back and study abroad for the entirety of my junior year at TIU. I'm not too sure what I want to do career-wise, but I believe I'll participate in the JET program and then see where life takes me after that.