Hello my name is Donald Garrett.  I am a rising senior at George Mason University that is majoring in Government and International Politics with a double minor in both Japanese Studies and Tourism & Events Management.

My interest in the Japanese language began in high school.  I wanted to study a foreign language that was outside of the typical Spanish/French/Latin offering.  Fortunately, my county produced distance learning videos for the study of Japanese.  I was able to learn from the videos along with occasional visits from the teachers themselves.  My studies of the language and culture continued into college.

Outside of Mason, I am employed as a Substitute Teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).  FCPS has a Japanese Immersion program at two of its elementary schools where students grades K-6 are taught Math and Science in the Japanese language.  I have been able to put my language skills to the test and sub for some of these instructors.  They have been some of my favorite assignments.

After I graduate, my nearest career goal is to enter the field of government relations, or lobbying.  I am really excited for the CEPEX Japan Studies Award because it will give me the opportunity to see how Sojitz, a multinational corporation, interacts in the Washington DC area and how this translates back to its headquarters in Japan.

All in all, I am thankful and excited for the opportunity to intern with Sojitz both in the United States and in Japan.  I’ve never traveled outside of the country before so this experience hopefully be eye-opening and life-changing.