Advising

International and Area Studies

Email: k09sa01@kzoo.edu
Hometown: Holland, MI
Majors: IAS (East Asia focus) and Anthropology/Sociology
Minor: Japanese
Study Abroad: Tokyo, Japan
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Raspberry sorbet and green tea
Best Adjective to Describe You: Curious

In 10 words or less, why should someone want to be a part of this department?

Comprehensive field, full-year abroad option, and so many more reasons!

When did you know you wanted to study this area?  What pathway led you to this department?

I came to K knowing I wanted to study abroad, but wasn’t really sure of anything beyond that. So I went with IAS, but didn’t really know for sure I wanted to do the major until I took the sophomore seminar.

What is the best way to get (and stay) connected to this department?

Start by talking to the professors and other IAS students. Since it is interdisciplinary, it isn’t a very cohesive department so sometimes you have to go to multiple people to get your questions answered, but that way you get to meet more people in IAS.

What would you miss the most if you were no longer a part of this department?

Probably the freedom this major offers, with the ability to take classes in so many different departments and still have them all fit together.

What are your career aspirations/next steps after K?

Maybe I’ll go back to Japan, maybe I’ll go on to grad school. I’ll figure it out eventually, I suppose!

I would eventually like to work in human rights; I’m just not sure in what way right now.

What has been the biggest surprise you have encountered at K?
When I think about it, just how much study abroad/away is built into the curriculum. For which I am very grateful!

How does your department connect to your other interests and activities?

I’m interested in other cultures and the international community… which is kind of what this whole major is about.

What has been your favorite class at K?  Why?

It’s a tie between Painting: Traditional Practices and IAS Sophomore Seminar with Professor Cohen. I love painting even though I don’t get to do it often, but Sophomore Seminar also gave me a lot of direction in my academic goals and ended up inspiring my SIP.

What is your SIP?

Universality vs. Cultural Relativism in Human Rights

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