Sarah was an intern for Chatham’s Maymester Study Abroad to Kansai Japan, developing an itinerary for the trip and acting as a translator and liaison during our travels. She also completed a week-long internship with the International Office at Kobe College (a small women’s college in Kobe, Japan) where sheI translated and proofread official documents and counseled students preparing for their study abroad programs at Chatham in the coming semester. During Fall Semester, she interned with the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, a local nonprofit that provides educational programming and business networking events to promote Japan-America relations. She continued to participate in Chatham’s conversation partner program, completed a research project and presentation on the history of Japanese democratization, and began her study of Mandarin Chinese before graduating with a degree in International Studies, Asia Certificate in December 2017. She is currently looking to start a career in administration of International Business, nonprofit work, or education.
Advice to current Chatham students interested in Asia/Asian studies: I would encourage them to study abroad, seek out internships that interest them, and communicate with their academic advisor. The best way to experience culture is to immerse yourself in it and the best way to apply what you learn from other cultures (and to continue to learn) is to find activities close to home that are related to the culture you’re passionate about. My academic advisor was able to make me aware of opportunities to travel, learn, and apply my skills and help me attain a highly personalized education.