JULY 2022 – Seventy-nine undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the United States have been named recipients of Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan. The winners will receive awards ranging from $2,000 to $4,500 to assist with their expenses while they study in Japan for a semester or an academic year beginning in Fall 2022. Since 1999, more than two thousand scholarships have been awarded by the US-Japan Bridging Foundation.
The goal of AATJ’s Bridging Project is to promote study abroad in Japan by larger numbers of American undergraduate students. The American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ), which promotes education in Japanese language, literature, and culture, administers the Bridging Scholars scholarship program for the US-Japan Bridging Foundation.
Contributors for the 2021-2022 Scholarships
Contributors for the 2021-2022 scholarships include The Freeman Foundation (lead donor), Aflac International, Inc., AIG Japan Holdings K.K., Amway Japan G.K., Bentall Green Oak, Colt Chaffin, Paul Clawson, Paige Cottingham-Streater, Cultural Exchange LLC, Robin Dahlberg and Ted Maynard, Mark Davidson, Brian and Janie Doyle, Richard Dyck, ExxonMobil, Jean Falvey, Robert Feldman, Angelika Ferguson, Yoshiaki Fujiki, Kristina Gaines, James Gerienchen, Evan Gordon, Green Oak Real Estate; Robert Grondine Memorial Scholarship Fund (Chris Wells, Krishen Mehta); Ellen Hammond, Paul Hastings, Hecht Law PC, Harry Hill, AB Hirschfeld, Jr., Ichigo Asset Management, Ltd., David Janes, Japan Foundation, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, Hirofumi Jinno, Brian Kelly, Jessica Kennett Cork, Dan Klebes, Kathryn R. and Joel Kolmodin, Edward Lincoln, Lockheed Martin Japan, Deanna Marcum, Ginger Marcus, Tom Mason and Qi Wang, Kathy Matsui, Victoria Melendez, Joelle Metcalfe, Joseph Meyer, Mission Value Partners, LLC, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Lara Mones, Morgan Stanley Japan, Samuel Morse and Anne Nishimura, Ekaterina Mozhaeva, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Satoru and Hiroko Murase, Robert L. Noddin, Oak Lawn Marketing, ORIX Corporation USA, ORIX Stewardship Foundation, Gwynette Paez, T.J. Pempel, Susan J. Pharr, Thierry Porté, Chris Quackenbush, Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd., Roche Family Foundation, Edward Rogers, Samuel Ross, Susan Schmidt, Leonard Schoppa, Frank Seiji Sanda, David Semaya, Paul and Yoshiko Sheard, Bahia Simons-Lane, Sheila A. Smith, David Sneider, Ed Spitzberg, George and Brad Takei, Allison Tolman; Jeremiah Trusty Memorial Scholarship Fund (Morgan and Brendan Aiello, David Albanese, Adam Bamford, Gregory Bamford, Suzanne Basalla, Brian Bawol, Rachel Brown, Jennifer Butler, Serena Cline, Bob Corwin, Donna Ikeda and John Morey, The Eng Family, Charlie Fujikawa, Dana Heatherton, David Hino, Tim Hino, Natasha Huynh, Adam Jan, Helen Jew, Sunil Kasturi, Jillian Kereczman, Allison Knowles, Keith Krulak, Kristi Kuchta, Josh Lawrenz, Kris Lee, Global Film Network Inc., Laura Mabe, Jacob MacIntyre, Damien Magnuson, Dayspring Mattole, Matt Mele, Michelle Mele, Ingrid Merriwether, Nathan Mesko, Brittany Morey, Kei Morita, Andrew Oberland, Courtney Ozaki, Barry Peterson, Jessica Pham, Kelly Pong-Der, Delwin Por, Kenny Rivas, Ann Siqveland, Rachel Steinmeier, Andrea Sugano, Tyler Tokioka, Jason Trimiew, Sarah and Martin Trimiew, Lynne Tsugawa, Joshua Valdivia, Paul Vosti, David T. Walker, Amy Weeden, Andrea Williams, Brenda Wong, Francis Wong, Brent Yoshida, Anthony Yu); Bill Tsutsui, Axel Urie, Emily Williams, Isaac Wittenberg, Ira Wolf Memorial Scholarship Fund (Amy Jackson, Nike, Adam Wolf, Eloise Wolf, Evan Wolf, Jeanne Wolf, Lacy Wolf, Lyla Wolf); Stephanie Wood.
These Bridging Scholars hail from a variety of schools–public and private, large universities and small colleges–in 32 states. Their majors range from biochemistry to fine arts, but they share a common interest in Japan, its society, and its language and culture. Their destinations also vary, from giant campuses in Tokyo to small colleges in rural Japan. A list of the recipients, their schools, their destination programs, and their majors follows.
Applications will be accepted in October 2022 for the next group of Bridging Scholarships, for study in Japan beginning in Spring 2023. For information on the scholarships and to access application form, visit the Bridging Project online at www.aatj.org/studyabroad/japan-bridging-scholarships.
For information on the Bridging Foundation, visit www.bridgingfoundation.org.
Recipients of Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan
Fall 2022
Suvan AGARWAL / Oberlin College / Waseda University / physics; music performance
Ibrahim AL-RAMAHI / University of Illinois, Chicago/ Temple University Japan / management
Fabiola ALVAREZ / Hamilton College (NY) / Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies /
dance; movement studies
Isabel AN / University of Pennsylvania / Hitotsubashi University / international studies; business
Amanda ANDERSON / Smith College / Associated Kyoto Program / biological studies; Japanese
Marni AOSVED / Willamette University / Tokyo International University / chemistry; data science
Kelsey BARTON / University of South Florida / Kansai Gaidai University / studio art
Brandon BENTON / Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas / Nagasaki Univ. of Foreign Studies /
electrical engineering
Victoria BENTON / Arizona State University / Nanzan University / psychology
Justin BICK / University of Toledo / Aichi University / mechanical engineering
Rebekah BLUME / University of Maryland / Waseda University / Japanese
Mason BROUWER / Western Michigan University/ Keio University / psychology; Japanese
Carlos BUSTAMANTE / New Mexico State University / Kansai Gaidai University / business; music
Aidan CASHMAN / University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee / Seijo University / linguistics; Japanese
Joyce CHAN / Baruch College, CUNY / Waseda University / marketing management
Wilmer CHINCHILLA / University of Rhode Island / Niigata University / electrical engineering
Chandra COLVIN / St. Cloud University (MN) / Akita International University / mass communication
James DALTON / University of Texas, Austin / Sophia University / economics; Japanese
Jose DAMIAN-FLORES / St. Edward’s University (TX) / Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University /
global studies
Eric DAVIS / Michigan State University / University of the Ryukyus / Japanese
Soren DICKSON/ Harvard Extension School / Temple University Japan / Japanese
Emerald FATICA / Marshall University (WV) / Kansai Gaidai University / finance; international
business
Alec FELDSTEIN / University at Buffalo, SUNY / International Christian University / linguistics;
Japanese
Madeline FRENCH / Baylor University (TX) / Hosei University / linguistics
Ignacio GARCIA-MATA / Ohio State University / Rikkyo University / Japanese
Jacob GENDERSON / Appalachian State Univ. (NC) / Kansai Gaidai /
interdisciplinary arts and story production
Maeve GENNETT / University of Colorado, Colorado Springs / Waseda University / Japanese studies
Michael GERY / California State University, Sacramento / Waseda University / communications
Zenna GLASER/ Washington State University / Kansai Gaidai University /
international business; marketing
Andrea GONZALEZ / University of Washington / Waseda University / visual communication design
Asia GRIFFIS / Appalachian State Univ. (NC) / Kansai Gaidai University / East Asian studies
Ayano GUERRA / California State University, Fresno / Waseda University / international business
Jazmine GUZMAN / Drake University (IA) / Kwansei Gakuin University / international relations
Kaylea HENRETTY/ University of Arkansas / Kansai Gaidai University / Asian studies; Japanese;
Chinese
Paulina HENSLEY / California State University, Channel Islands / Waseda University / health science
Zackary HOLLINGWORTH / San Diego State Univ. / Gunma University / electrical engineering;
Japanese
Zachary HUNT / University of Wyoming/ Saitama University / history; computer science
Claudia JACOBO / Washington State University / Nanzan University (ISEP) / Japanese
Jeremy JAKJAI / Central Michigan University / Nara University of Education/ global studies
Parvathi JASON / Temple University (PA) / Temple University Japan / criminal justice
Madison JORDING / Illinois State University / Kansai Gaidai University / international relations
Tyler KAHMANN / University of Hawaii / Keio University / exploratory business
Olivia KONIG / Northern Arizona University / Aoyama Gakuin University / international affairs
Emily LACILENTO / San Diego State University / Hosei University / English teaching
Brad LEATHERS/ DePaul University (IL) / Kansai Gaidai University / international studies
Benjamin LEE / Vassar College (NY) / Ritsumeikan University / computer science
Abigail LOWRY / University of Tennessee, Chattanooga / J.F. Oberlin University / political science
Fatima LUNA / Northern Arizona University / Yamaguchi University /
biomedical sciences; cultural studies
Zylah MARKHAM / Emory University (GA) / Kansai Gaidai University / international studies
Wren MARKLEY / Washington & Lee University (VA) / International Christian University / Japanese
Elizabeth MARSHALL / University of Michigan / Waseda University / history; international studies
Michaela MASUI / California State University, Fullerton / Waseda University / international business
Joshua MATHIS Fort Lewis College (CO) / Waseda University / business administration
Luke MAY / Northern Arizona University / Kyushu University / biology; Japanese
Katerina MAYERLE / Weber State University (UT) / Kansai Gaidai University / Japanese
Ellie McCAMPBELL / American University (DC) / Ritsumeikan University / global international
relations
Brendan MUUS / University of North Dakota / Meiji Gakuin University / finance; business economics
Emily OCHOA / San Diego State University / Akita International University / international business
Devon OLDING / Ohio State University / Tenri University / Japanese
Lance PARKER / Bowling Green State University (OH) / Saitama University /
accounting; international business
Calvin PARKER-DUROST / University of Oregon / Waseda University / business administration
Miguel PEREZ / University of Florida / Kansai Gaidai University / Japanese
Jennifer PILLAJO / University of Redlands / Waseda University / global business
Lilleanna POE / Western Michigan University / Rikkyo University / Japanese; cybersecurity
Leticia RAMOS / Fresno State University / Nagasaki Univ. of Foreign Studies (USAC) / physics
Noah ROBERTS / Grand Valley State University (MI) / International Christian University / criminal
justice
Richard ROOS / Western Washington University / International Christian University / Japanese;
business
Justin SCOTT / University of Michigan / Waseda University / Japanese studies; translation studies
Coby SIMON / University of Hawaii / Konan University / business
Moriah SMITH/ Ohio State University / Nanzan University / Japanese; actuarial science
Claire SUGAWA / University of Hawaii / Waseda University / marketing; international business
Kevin SUGGS / University of Rhode Island / Kyushu University / computer engineering; Japanese
Faith TAYLOR / Oakland University (MI) / Nanzan University / Japanese; K-12 education
Miriam TORRES / DePaul University (IL) / Temple University Japan / political science
Jason WALTON / Oakland University (MI) / Nanzan University / linguistics
Claire WILSON / University of Texas, San Antonio / Kyoto University /
international relations; global studies
Kelsey WURSTER / Bowling Green State University (OH) / Hiroshima Jogakuin University / Asian
studies
Tabassum YOUSUF / University of Illinois, Chicago / Temple University Japan / information sciences
Georgia ZUTZ/ Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) / Kansai Gaidai University /
communication; Japanese studies
