Tammy Mok, a UCSD Computer Science major with a Japanese Studies minor, is studying at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. During her year abroad, Tammy wants to conduct research and take language and culture classes to set her on the path to fluency in the language. In addition, Tammy "hopes to learn from the stories of those around me, explore a whole new culture, and grow a more global perspective." She notes that the class sizes are much smaller than UCSD and she is exploring clubs and circles (a more casual version of a club) with an eye towards joining the Aikido club and the Cooking circle. Amongst other keen early observations of cultural differences, she writes that "many people have said to beware of the lack of garbage cans on the street, but I didn't expect there to be almost a complete lack of them."
Alex Slone (Czech Republic 2018-19)
Alex Slone is a Sociology major studying at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. He grew up in Northern California and has adopted the entrepreneurial mindset that region is known for. He has held internships with a health food startup and another startup focused on artificial intelligence and 3D sensors. Alex hopes to one day start a company and sees discovering different perspectives as a key challenge to do so. Since arriving in Prague, he has settled into his classwork and found time to travel to Barcelona, Krakow and Berlin. He writes, "I've come to realize that people are really not that different around the world. We all face the same problems and experience sadness and happiness. Really what is different is environment and culture." Over winter break, Alex will be staying with a family in a small town in Italy, working on a farm. The family is a Worldpacker host, a program that provides food and accommodation in exchange for doing work.
Isabella Silva (Japan, 2018-19)
Isabella Silva, a Japanese Studies major, is studying at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. She has a love of languages and has studied Spanish and ASL in addition to Japanese. This passion extends to her career goal: after graduating she plans to move to Japan and South Korea to become an English teacher, "striving not only to instruct my students on the topic of the class, but additionally to be a role model and cultural ambassador." At UCSD, she was an English in Action (EIA) tutor to a student from Turkey and a student from Taiwan. During weekly meetings she answered specific grammar questions, explained cultural norms and conducted conversations to help them improve their English. Since arriving in Tokyo, Isabella has been "impressed with how much I know, yet at the same time there are many moments that are lost in translation." She writes that she appreciates these conversations because they "challenge me and help me grow." In addition to her course load, Isabella has applied to intern at an elementary school.
Yulin Ma (Scotland 2018-19)
Yulin Ma is a Human Development major studying at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. At UCSD, Yulin was part of the Asian and Pacific-Islander Student Alliance (APSA), helping them with their annual high school conference, an event which aimed to give high school students from underserved communities in San Diego a chance to experience college. Because she is a first-generation student herself, Yulin is passionate about working with youths who are unfamiliar with the process of navigating higher education. In the future, she would like to become a school psychologist in inner city schools. She is excited to be spending a year abroad and experiencing a new culture. She writes, "In my major, human development, there is a heavy emphasis on the compromise between nature and nurture in the influence of development; our genetic disposition controls only so much of our life's trajectory, and experience can heavily shape who we become. Studying abroad has always been a dream of mine because what I had always valued the most in life was experiencing all that I can."
Megumi Kawamura (Japan 2018-19)
Megumi Kawamura, an International Business major, is studying at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. A native of Northern California, she has been active in the UCSD community, serving on the executive board of the Student Organized Voter Access Committee. Megumi grew up playing competitive tennis, golf, and basketball, and most recently competed in a 100-mile bike race. She wrote before leaving for Japan that she "hopes to become more aligned with her heritage, become fluent in Japanese, and explore Japan and its beautiful culture." Megumi was nervous but found that her fears and worries were quickly put to rest when she moved into the Hoshien international student dormitories during her first week. Since arriving, she has taken a trip to Kyoto, and visited her grandparents who live about an hour outside of Tokyo. She writes that she has "met some incredible people from all around the world, had so many great experiences, and have learned so many things about myself and my outlook on life that I would have never learned without this experience." During the rest of her time abroad Megumi hopes to go to Mt. Fuji during the winter and visit Thailand, Singapore, Bali, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan during the spring break.
Dominique Winfield (Spain 2016-17)
Dominique Winfield is a Biochemistry and Cell Biology major, with a Spanish minor, studying Spanish language and culture at the University of Córdoba in Córdoba, Spain. She has a dream of becoming an oral surgeon for Dentists Without Borders that was inspired by her first experience volunteering at a free dental clinic in San Diego. Dominique feels that learning Spanish will help her provide more effective care to Hispanic communities in San Diego. In Córdoba, Dominique has begun an intensive language learning program during the fall semester and then will spend the spring semester taking standard college classes in Spanish with local students at the University of Granada. She writes that she is learning the Spanish practice of taking some time to just be quiet. “There is a saying here that I quite like, ‘Los Españoles no vivan a trabajar, ellos trabajan a vivir.’ It translates, ‘Spaniards don’t live to work, they work to live.” Dominique has traveled within Spain, and highlighted a trip her program took to Morocco, that included stops in Tangier, Asilah, Sale, Rabat, and Chefchaouen. She writes that, “there were things that I saw and experienced in Morocco that have changed my life and perspective of the world.”
Alexandria Vollhardt (Germany, 2017-18)
Alexandria Vollhardt is a Literatures of the World major studying at Freie Universität Berlin in Germany. She grew up in Ventura County, California and has a strong interest in languages including German, French, and Italian. The focus of her studies is European literatures and literary theory. At UCSD, she became involved with the Muir Quarterly, a satirical newspaper created and managed by students, as a staff writer and assistant copy editor. She chose to study in Berlin as a way to engage with her heritage while also experiencing a city completely new to her. She writes, “I am learning how to consolidate the difficult and privileged parts of living abroad, and understanding that not every second is a thrill, but rather a piece in a larger puzzle that one must make oneself. Each moment will make up some part of the final product, but right now (at the beginning), I am most concerned with finding the corner pieces.” Alexandria would eventually like to teach at the university level and continue research in the field of literature.
Giovanni Castillo (Spain 2017-18)
Gio Castillo, a Social Psychology major, is studying at the University of Barcelona in Spain. He grew up in a Latino family in Palm Springs, California. He writes that “the differences I saw every day between American and Latino cultures sparked my fascination with exploring different cultures and understanding the subtle complexities behind their norms.” He is a self-described “knowledge junkie” and loves picking up new hobbies like surfing or the ukulele. Prior to leaving for Spain, he was involved in two research labs at UCSD studying emotion and cognition from multiple viewpoints. In his time in Spain he has experienced first-hand the political turmoil of the Catalan independence referendum. He is currently monitoring the elections for the new regional government after Europe did not recognize Catalan independence on the grounds of political illegitimacy. Large turnout is expected. He writes, “The most impactful moment I’ve experienced thus far was participating in the anti-terrorism march in the aftermath of the attack on La Rambla. The theme was ‘No Tenim Por’ or ‘We Are Not Afraid.’ Thousands took to the streets of Barcelona, myself included, to demonstrate they would not show the fear ISIS wishes to instill.” For Christmas, Gio will be traveling to Dubai to visit a cousin who just had twins. He is also eagerly looking forward to the upcoming match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Emily Yeh (Japan, 2017-18)
Emily Yeh is a Political Science – International Relations major studying at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. Emily grew up in Taiwan before moving to Irvine, CA in 10th Grade. Prior to college, Emily took a gap year and interned at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan. Besides studying in Japan, she has studied in France and Switzerland during her college career. In 2014, Emily was appointed by the International Olympic Committee as Youth Olympic Games Ambassador and was part of the Chinese Taipei delegation at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. She has participated in the UC Washington Program (UCDC) and interned at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a trans-disciplinary research think tank. Prior to departing for Japan, she was a research assistant at the UCSD Department of Political Science working on a project funded by the UCSD Frontiers of Innovation Scholars Program that seeks to make sense of the political communication on Twitter during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Her career and research interest lies at the intersection of sustainable development, environmental policy, and urban planning. Emily is “dedicated to the knowledge transfer of her off-campus experiences and tries to make more students aware of the resources available.”
Thomas Bayne (The Netherlands, 2017-18)
Thomas Bayne, a Political Science major, is studying at University College Maastricht in the Netherlands. A native of Northern California, he came to UCSD after a period of pursuing artistic ventures in Los Angeles. He hopes to expand his knowledge of international political systems during his year abroad and bring such understanding back to the U.S. in hopes of creating a more efficient U.S. system. Outside of academics, Thomas enjoys film, literature and hiking. He has made trips to Budapest, Dublin, Amsterdam and Brussels thus far. Thomas writes that “the EAP experience has widened my idea of not only what profession I could enter but where I would practice that profession.” He has been hired by several organizations to photograph and report on events in Maastrict and hopes to start an internship in the field of journalism during the summer. He writes, “None of this would have been possible without the kindness and opportunity afforded to me by the Chris Borton Memorial Scholarship.”
Mikayla Webster (Japan 2016-17)
Mikayla Webster is a Computer Science major studying at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. She intends to use her programming knowledge to advance the field of language translation. At UCSD, she led a collaborative project with the Red Cross of Tijuana. Her team’s goal was to create a software solution to help better distribute the Red Cross’ limited number of ambulances. The experience inspired Mikayla to pursue an international career in software engineering. Her love of language learning narrowed her focus to automated language translation. Her goal is “to facilitate higher, faster, and easier levels of communication across nations and cultures by tearing down the language barriers that separate them.” Mikayla has a personal goal of learning at least five languages in her life: English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic. She writes that, “learning new languages gives insight and perspective that can only be accomplished when individuals step outside their own area of comfort and experience. By gaining knowledge about different peoples beyond one’s current understanding, the mind can better facilitate tolerance, acceptance, and universal love.” She is living in the international housing area at the university and has befriended students from China, Indonesia, Germany, France, Poland, Spain, and Venezuela. Mikayla has met Japanese students through an English-Japanese language exchange group that meets regularly, including several students who were good friends with previous Borton scholars attending Tohoku (Christian Koguchi, Austin Pukasamsombut, and Vincent Yu). She is working in the Advanced Acoustics and Intelligent Systems Lab at Tohoku University, with a focus on psycho acoustics. The prompt for her research is the human brain’s ability to filter sounds that it hears. Mikayla is working under a Japanese master student who is attempting to recreate this affect in headphone speakers. She will spend the upcoming months learning from this master student while defining her own similarly-themed project.
Justin Lim (South Korea, 2016-17)
Justin Lim is a Human Biology major studying at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. He is a Korean-American raised in Northern California. His interest in Korea was sparked when he visited the country as a third grader. Justin plans to apply to medical school in the future. In his free time, he enjoys photography and learning about computer hardware. His initial experiences in South Korea include being exposed to new forms of Korean cuisine, as well as dishes known to him that have gained new dimensions but retain enough familiarity to remind him of home. Justin writes that, “School life at Yonsei does not seem to be significantly different than at UCSD. While class sizes seem to be smaller at Yonsei, the difficulty and procedures are comparable to those at UCSD. Student interactions are a different matter.” He is working hard to acclimate himself, and though it is difficult, he finds the process enjoyable, and it is in these interactions that he is “learning things about Korea that I could only learn while living here.”
Jennifer Rivas (France, 2016-17)
Jennifer Rivas, a Communication major with a minor in Environmental Science, is studying at the University of Lyon in Lyon, France. She grew up bilingual in Los Angeles and French is her third language. At UCSD, she has worked as a project developer for the university, teaching students and staff how to live in an eco-friendly manner through interactive games and activities. She has also performed as part of UCSD Dancesport, the School’s competitive Latin-ballroom dance team. In Lyon, she hopes to get involved at local food banks and farmer’s markets to engage with the French population and understand how everyday interactions affect sustainable food choices. She plans to pursue a career in environmental policy after finishing her degree at UCSD. She writes that the French university system is quite different from California, highlighted by different lecture styles and greater individual responsibility for students. She writes that “a lot of students are politically active and aware, and I think they hold their education system to a high standard.” Jennifer particularly enjoyed a trip to Beaujolais, the well-known wine region outside of Lyon. She was introduced to a French couple who walked her through the long history of the land and their unique bread and wine making processes.
Sophia Osborne (Japan 2016-17)
Sophie Osborne, an International Studies/History major with a minor in Japanese Studies, is studying at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. A native of Sacramento, California, her family spent four years living in Tokyo during her childhood. She has focused her studies on spaces of multicultural intersection such as ethnic relations. At Waseda, Sophie will draw on her knowledge of Korean culture to pursue independent research of a Zainichi (ethnically Korean Japanese) neighborhood. At UCSD, Sophie worked part-time as a student lead on two specialty food trucks and was a staff writer for the Opinion section of the school newspaper. She has volunteered at the Chinese Historical Museum, where she worked to revamp the walking tour of the Asian-Pacific Heritage District. At Waseda, Sophie has started classes, settled in her dorm, enjoys frequenting a cat café “where you can sip coffee while petting the store’s many feline residents”, and joined a club that practices Nihon Buyou (traditional Japanese dance). She writes that she is amazed by “the contrast between the informal, everyday slang of my Japanese friends and the centuries old language of the traditional dance they practice.”
Vincent Yu (Japan, 2015-16)
Vincent Yu is a Computer Engineering major with a minor in Japanese Studies studying at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. In high school he built a headphone amplifier from scratch and took programming courses in community college before transferring to UCSD. At UCSD, he is a member of the Japanese Student Association, participates in Eta Kappa Nu (an electrical engineering honor society), and trains and races on his road bike with the UCSD Cycling team. In Japan, he went on an outing with the Tohoku University Cycling Club to Fukushima, where they climbed a mountain so high it was snowing at the summit. He recently passed his second interview for an internship with Google Tokyo. Vincent writes of his early experiences in Japan: “making every moment count, this is how I should live my life, abroad or not. What a wonderful lesson this trip has taught me even in just the beginning of the program.”
Megan Bright (Germany 2015-16)
Megan Bright, a Political Science major with a minor in German Studies, is studying at the Free University in Berlin, Germany. She is an active member of the UCSD Pre-Law Society. In high school, Megan was a member of the Mock Trial Club and played basketball and volleyball. In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through preparing locally sourced, organic, plant-based meals. She is happiest when “hiking through a forest or nature reserve or enjoying the sun on the beach.” Since arriving in Germany, Megan has been able to take trips to Croatia, Amsterdam and Budapest. Her housemates are from Germany, France and Argentina. In her first term, she is taking two political science courses taught in English, a course about the dividing of Berlin in German and German language courses. By studying abroad, Megan hopes to “immerse herself in another culture and expand her language skills.”
Daniel Lee (Japan, 2015-16)
Daniel Lee is pursuing a degree in Computer Science with minors in Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Computing and is studying this year at Keio University in Japan. Daniel was born and raised in Taiwan and studied at an international school during his high school years. Daniel believes in the importance of understanding the digital world holds a deep passion for computer science. He is currently interested in artificial intelligence and machine learning and believes that the mastering of this technology will bring humans a step further into the future. Since Japan is a hub of technology and a leader in artificial intelligence, he plans to take courses in artificial intelligence and big data during his year abroad. Daniel also enjoys the arts. He started playing piano when he was four, beginning with classical training and progressing later on to rock, pop and accompaniment. He would like to try composing in the future. Daniel started drawing at a young age and enjoys doing sketches, watercolors, acrylic, painting, and digital art. He believes that “being multi-faceted will help me gain a better understanding of the world and the people around me.” He is excited about his year in Japan and the opportunity to immerse himself in a different culture.
Mary Ma (China, 2015-16)
Mary Ma, a Political Science/International Relations and Chinese Studies major, is studying at Peking University in Beijing, China. She is ethnically Chinese, was born in Singapore, and calls Northern California home. She has traveled across Asia with her family. Mary writes, “Growing up straddling an individualistic American culture and a collective Chinese culture has given her a great curiosity about understanding people of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds.” That interest was further influenced by travels in Uganda and throughout Europe. At UCSD, she volunteered as an English tutor for international students. Mary has played the cello for ten years in various music ensembles and has a great interest in music. Mary plans to pursue a career in human rights law and is looking forward to deepening her understanding of Chinese culture while expanding her global perspective during her year abroad. In Bejing, Mary has joined the university news corps, where she does English reporting and Chinese to English translation for the Peking University Office of International Relations. She also got an internship at TEDxBeijing and has been working hard preparing for their annual December event. Mary writes, “I’m really glad that I came to China for a year and not just a semester. I’ve gained so many invaluable skills in addition to Chinese and now have clearer goals for my future and career.”
Christian Koguchi (Japan, 2014-15)
Christian Koguchi is an Engineering major studying at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. After graduation, he plans to work in the fields of signal processing and communications. Apart from his interest in engineering, Christian has a passion for travelling and learning about foreign cultures. He grew up in a family of Japanese-Peruvians, speaking fluent English and Spanish and has travelled to many countries such as Peru, Costa Rica, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Austria. He has put his language skills to use in the international dorm at Tohoku. He writes of his interactions with the Japanese students, “I’ve learned this phrase called Inshin Denshin. Perhaps the exact spelling may be off, but I was told the meaning of it is like ‘understanding without words,’ and it literally means something like ‘transmitted from the mind to heart.’ It’s what my friends and I have been saying to describe our communication.”
Austin Pukasamsombut (Japan, 2014-15)
Varanon Austin Pukasamsombut, an Electrical Engineering major, is studying at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan. He is passionate about robotics and electronics and chose Tohoku University in order to perform research under Professor Kazuya Yoshida. He believes that this experience will help him achieve his “dream of becoming an inventor; an engineer who designs and creates new devices to benefit society.” Austin has been involved in robotics since high school, when he led a team to the VEX world robotics championships. At UCSD he joined the IEEE Micromouse project team and was able to make a robot that navigated autonomously through a maze. He arrived in Japan this summer and spent two months in a language immersion program at Senshu University, and then another month traveling with friends and family. He stayed with a friend in Kobe for a month and wrote that the experience “gave me a chance to experience life in a Japanese household, where my friend’s parents would always cook homemade Japanese meals for dinner and I would be able to sleep in a tatami room on a futon bed.” He writes that Sendai, nicknamed the City of Trees, is truly a beautiful place filled with forests and mountains. Christian Koguchi (another Borton scholar – see below) lives next door to Austin in the international dorms and they “push each other to go out and explore our surroundings so that we can enjoy our time here in Japan to the fullest.”