JAPANESE Alumni
Ben Liberatori, Computer Science, 2021
Why did you study Japanese language at WCU?
The comprehensive Japanese language courses offered here were one of my deciding factors for enrolling at WCU. I have had an interest in Japanese culture from a young age, but I had no substantial knowledge of the language itself prior to attending university, nor any idea of the best manner in which to go about learning it. I also wanted to potentially travel to Japan in the future, so I believed acquiring the relevant language skills would help me appreciate that experience more. I really enjoyed taking the introductory courses, and I discovered that studying the language also helped stimulate my desire to further my studies of the culture as well. Long story short, I liked studying Japanese so much at WCU that I eventually became an on-campus tutor and graduated with the associated minor by the end of it.
What have you done since graduating from WCU?
Since graduating from WCU, I was accepted into The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. I am currently in my second year of living in Japan, and I have been teaching English at a Japanese high school. In my free time I travel the country, and continue to deepen my studies of the language and culture. The language skills I gained during my time at WCU helped make this all possible, and greatly assisted with transitioning to life in a foreign country as well.