Outreach Activities

Below is a list of extracurricular activities and organizations I participated in at Clemson University and my time abroad at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies in Nagasaki, Japan.

Clemson University

Japanese Cultural Association (CUJCA)

September 2018 - December 2024

The CUJCA is a student organization that celebrates Japanese culture through activities such as painting calligraphy, singing karaoke, and celebrating Japanese holidays. I was the organization’s president from the 2022-2023 school year, and with that I was also tasked with the responsibility of guiding Japanese exchange students in their study abroad experience here at Clemson. After stepping down from presidency to study abroad myself, watching this organization grow has been my joy.

Japan-American Association

of South Carolina (JAASC)

August 2022 - Present

The JAASC is an official off-campus organization in the state of South Carolina that participates in or hosts Japanese festivals in the state as well as open-conversation events for cultural exchange of Japanese and English. They also host a Japanese Saturday School for Japanese children to learn Japanese, as English is their primary language growing up in the States. Members from this organization have assisted in the CUJCA activities as well as in Clemson’s Japanese courses.

Clemson University Anime and Manga Club

September 2018 - December 2024

The Clemson University Anime and Manga Club is a student organization that engages in watching anime, playing interactive anime-related games with other members, and planning trips to local anime conventions such as MomoCon and Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) in Atlanta, Georgia. The weekly meetings consist of watching two episodes of an anime in the first half of the meeting and engaging with club members in playing an interactive game for the second half. I have participated in this club since I was a freshman in 2018 as I have had an interest in Japanese pop culture since I was a grade schooler.

Tea Ceremony Club (茶道部)

September 2023 - August 2024

The Tea Ceremony Club is a student organization at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies that focuses on the steps and etiquette of serving tea in a Tea Ceremony setting while wearing traditional Japanese yukata/kimono. We served tea to the student body during the school’s annual festival (外語祭) as well as participated in tea parties held in Nagasaki Prefecture.

Traditional Japanese Arts (日本の伝統文化)

September 2023 - August 2024

At Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, a series of classes titled “Traditional Japanese Arts” (実習・日本の伝統文化） allowed international students to take classes that engaged in activities dealing with traditional Japanese culture. The first class (実習・日本の伝統文化 1 ) gave students the opportunity to participate in tea ceremony, kimono, flower arrangement, and calligraphy activities. The second class (実習・日本の武道) allowed students to learn the ways of martial arts, particularly “Aikido” (合気道) and “Kendo” (剣道). The third class (実習・日本の武道3) involved playing a Japanese instrument named the “Koto” (琴). While it was not required to take any of these classes and no restriction to how many one could take, I chose to participate in all three of them. Though there was a fee to participate in these courses, it was worth every bit to indulge even further into Japanese culture.

English Teaching Assistant

September 2023 - August 2024

At Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, there was an option for international students to work as a teaching assistant for a class of Japanese students teaching their native language (American and British students helping to teach English classes, French students helping to teach French classes, etc.). As an American, I signed up for a teaching assistant position for an English class. It was a fulfilling experience being able to teach the English language to those who admired American culture and its language in the same way I admired Japanese culture and its language.

Teaching in the Goto Islands

February 12, 2024- February 13, 2024

The Goto Islands (新上五島) are a group of Japanese islands to the far west of Nagasaki Prefecture. I was given the opportunity to go there with two English-speaking Japanese students, another American student, and two American teachers to teach English to middle schoolers on the islands. It was a breathtaking experience being able to teach a group of students in a rural environment, as it felt the most traditional of a Japanese school experience.

Togitsu English Day Camp

October 22, 2023

For international students at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies, a class titled “Current Events in Japan” (アクティブ日本事情) could be taken that involved interacting with the Japanese community and doing a group presentation on what was learned about Japanese culture from this experience. My group was chosen to participate in an English Day Camp in Sakino Nature Park with Japanese middle schoolers, from playing English games to even doing a scavenger hunt. Seeing how the middle schoolers applied their English to these fun activities inspired me to perhaps incorporate activities like this in a potential teaching career.

Nagasaki Lantern Festival:

Maso Parade

(媽祖行列)

February 18, 2024

Annually in February, Nagasaki city hosts a Lantern Festival for fifteen days to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Throughout the city, lanterns and parade floats were held on display. In the final days of the festival, I was able to participate in a parade that honored the Chinese goddess, Mazu (written as “Maso” or 「媽祖」in Japanese). In this parade, we wore traditional Chinese clothing and marched throughout the city holding incense sticks.

Awards and Grants

SC Life Scholarship (2018-2022)

Orange Carpet (2018-2022)

President's List (2019-2020)

Dean's List (2019-2023)

Clemson University Japanese Speech Contest - 2nd Place (2022)

JAASC Award of Excellence (2023)