Shaun Kelly
- Knox College
- Japan Study, Academic Year 2011-12
Hometown: Columbia, MO
Majors/minors: Asian Studies major, Gender and Women's Studies minor, and I'll probably declare a Psychology minor too.
Campus activities, involvement, or other interests: At Knox, I'm involved in Common Ground (Knox's gay-straight alliance) and Odyssey Mentoring (a group that works with local middle schoolers), and I tutor first-year Japanese. I'm interested in pop culture, gender, feminism, translation, and food.
Why I chose to do this program: I've been interested in studying abroad in Japan since I started learning Japanese in high school. I chose to do Japan Study because I wanted to do a year-long program so that I would have time to adjust to a new culture and build meaningful relationships. I liked the idea of spending a year in Tokyo because it's so different from the American Midwest, but I also liked that through the cultural practicum I could get an in-depth look at two different parts of Japan in one program.
What I'm most excited about: Learning Japanese in a real-world setting, getting to know people in Japan as well as other international students, and eating Japanese food for a year!
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