Andres Manuel Alvarado
こんにちは! I’m Andres, a fellow student at UT Dallas. 
I’ve been interested in Japan for as long as I can remember. I grew up playing video games made by Nintendo and watching movies with Godzilla. That was my only view of Japan, a mystical place that birthed my beloved Mario Bros. and Godzilla. My narrow view lasted until high school, where I became fascinated with the Japanese language and culture. I started watching this Youtube Channel, Abroad in Japan, and my interest in Japan grew exponentially. I also met an exchange student from Tokyo. Hearing about their experience growing up and living there made me even more motivated to learn the language. After self-studying for some time, I enrolled in a class here at UTD. I plan on continuing my Japanese language studies here. This December, I will challenge the JLPT N5 exam and push through the other levels as I plan on living in Japan after my time at university.
Akie M Kasai
I’m a native Japanese speaker but I did not have access to formal Japanese classes until I took them at UTD. For the longest time, I struggled to learn how to read and write in Japanese and I always wanted to learn more. Having Nami-sensei as my professor, someone who is extremely supportive and passionate about teaching, I have a better understanding of Japanese language and culture beyond what’s written in the textbook. I want to be able to communicate with other Japanese speakers and I’m glad that I got to learn in an environment where I was allowed to make mistakes with other students. I’m glad that I enrolled in Japanese classes this year, even if it was learning through a screen.