Alyssa Emiko Kimura, recipient of the JICUF United States Student Scholarship Initiative (USSI), enrolled at International Christian University (ICU) in September 2022 and graduated this summer. Originally from Hawaii, she majored in Media, Communications, and Culture with a minor in Literature. During her four years at ICU, Alyssa embraced the University’s multicultural learning environment while also serving as a JICUF Student Ambassador, helping strengthen connections between Japanese and international students through campus events and community engagement.

Reflecting on her time at ICU, Alyssa shared the following message.

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The past four years at ICU have been full of new, incredibly rewarding opportunities, and I am immensely grateful to JICUF for enabling my academic journey here. Being able to study in an international environment has helped me see from various perspectives through interaction with people from many different cultures. The everyday nature of cross-cultural communication at ICU ultimately inspired the topic of my senior thesis—Japanese-to-English pun translation. My translation and interpreting courses gave me the foundation I needed to independently explore translation methods and the reasons behind their use.

My year as a JICUF Student Ambassador was also a period of tremendous personal growth. In addition to working closely with the JICUF team, I gained firsthand experience in bridging the gap between Japanese and international students while developing leadership, organizational, and communication skills. I am especially proud to have helped others step outside their comfort zones and make new friends through JICUF events such as Sports Night, which brings Japanese and international students together through sports, and International Day, JICUF’s annual program at the ICU Festival celebrating cultural diversity and international exchange.

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Congratulations, Alyssa, on your graduation! We are proud to have been part of your journey and wish you every success in the exciting chapter ahead.