Zari Smith, BA, 2020

Field of Study: B.A. in Asian Studies (Honors)

Graduation Year: 2020

At the start of my freshman year, I was excited to immediately jump into Japanese Studies and pursue my passions. What initially drew me in towards Michigan’s Department of Asian Languages and Cultures in particular was the rich variety of course offerings especially within the Japanese Language Program. I knew that by the time I left undergrad that I wanted to achieve professional fluency for which Michigan provided a first-class education as demonstrated by the number of advanced level classes available for undergraduates such as Classical Japanese, a practicum for Japanese translation and much more. Furthermore, as an avid student of Japanese premodern history, the historical and literature education I received was fantastic and made me fall further in love with the University I chose thanks to the variety and depth of the offerings.

Beyond the course offerings there were many resources available to improve my cultural compentency, such as the vast Asia Library and the frequent events held by the Center for Japanese Studies. With the backing of my supportive professors, I was able to participate in several programs such as the Critical Language Scholarship, the Kakehashi Project, as well as study abroad at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, Japan. My time at Michigan culminated in an honors thesis that allowed me to apply myself in a self-designed research project on the impact of globalization on the localization of Japanese video games.

Thanks to my time at University of Michigan, I have been fortunate to have been offered a variety of opportunities in my post-undergraduate career including my current occupation as a bilingual analyst.