June 20, 2019 – Eighty 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 of $2,500 – $4,000 to assist with their expenses while they study in Japan in Fall 2019 and academic year 2019-2020. Since 1999, more than two thousand scholarships have been awarded by the US-Japan Bridging Foundation.
The Japan-US Friendship Commission, an independent federal agency promoting mutual understanding between the United States and Japan, initiated the Bridging Project scholarship program and established a 501(c)(3) private foundation, the U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation (www.bridgingfoundation.org), to accept contributions. The goal of the Bridging Project is to promote study abroad in Japan by larger numbers of American undergraduate students. The scholarship program is administered by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese, which promotes education in Japanese language, literature, and culture.
Contributors for the 2019-2020 academic year scholarships include The Freeman Foundation (lead donor); Aflac International, Inc., AIG Japan Holdings K.K., American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), Ronald and Maria Anderson, Bridging Scholars Alumni Fund (Anonymous, Paul Godwin Clawson, Christopher James Houbeck, E’Narda McCallister, David Weltman), Daiwa Capital Markets America Inc., Kyle DeGruttola, Calvin Dong, Margot Ernest, Exxon Mobil G.K., Jean Falvey, Robert Feldman, Pamela Fields, Deborah Marshall Fike, Yoshiaki Fujiki, Eric Gangloff and Broderick Rojas, James Gannon, Georgi/Ishikawa Fund of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, Noah Gottdiener, Green Oak Real Estate, Ellen Hammond and Yasuo Ohdera, Mary Beth Harvey, Amy Heinrich, Harry and Yumiko Hill, Ichigo Asset Management, International Monetary Fund, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, J.C.C. Fund-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, Hirofumi Jinno, Daniela Kaisth, Peter Kelley, Weston Konishi, Theodore Life, Edward Lincoln, Teresa Lindsay, Lockheed Martin Global, Inc., Jack Makoujy, Elliot Maxwell, Geeta Mehta and Krishen Mehta, Margaret Mihori, Mission Value Partners, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), David Moffitt, Morgan Stanley MUFG Japan, Deanna Marcum, Patricia Maclachlan and Zoltan Barany, Thomas and Janet Montag, Anne Nishimura Morse, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Satoru Murase, New York Yankees–Stadium Events, Robert and Janette Noddin, Oak Lawn Marketing, Veronica Onorevole, ORIX Americas Miyauchi Charitable Foundation, T.J. Pempel, Susan Pharr and Robert Mitchell, Thierry and Yasko Porté, Missie Rennie, Roche Family Foundation, Jun and Naomi Saito, Motoatsu Sakurai, Susan Schmidt, Leonard Schoppa, Seiko Watch of America, Paul and Yoshiko Sheard, Sheila Smith, David Sneider, George and Brad Takei, TD Ameritrade Institutional, Toyota Motor North America, U.S.-Japan Council TOMODACHI Initiative, Carol Waite, Miho Walsh; Ira Wolf Memorial Scholarship Fund (Amy Jackson, Nike, Adam Wolf, Eloise Wolf, Evan Wolf, Jeanne Wolf, Lacy Wolf, Lyla Wolf).
Bridging Scholars hail from a variety of schools–public and private, large universities and small colleges–in 32 states. Their majors range from neuroscience and chemistry to fine arts and music, 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 can be found below.
For information on the Bridging Scholarships and to access the 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 2019
Shalena ADAMS / Johns Hopkins University/ Waseda University / East Asian Studies [AIG Bridging Scholar]
David AGUILAR / University of Texas, Austin / Kyoto University / International Relations [JUSFC Bridging
Scholar]
Chloe ALLAN / University of Alaska, Fairbanks / Hokkaido University / Mechanical Engineering [Lockheed
Martin Bridging Scholar]
Natalie ANTONIK / Ohio State University / Waseda University / International Studies [TOMODACHI Bridging
Scholar]
Kofi BAZZELL-SMITH / Eastern Illinois University / Kansai Gaidai / Studio Art [TOMODACHI Bridging
Scholar]
Lindsay BENNETT University of Kentucky / Akita International University / international economics [Morgan Stanley Bridging Scholar]
Kendall BOZICK / University of Mount Union / Kansai Gaidai /Japanese [Freeman Foundation Bridging
Scholar]
Hayli BROWN / University of Oregon / Senshu University / Linguistics
Nicholas BUTTRAM / University of Tennessee / Kansai Gaidai / Modern Foreign Languages [AIG Bridging
Scholar]
Aleksei CARPENTER / Middle Tennessee State University / Kansai Gaidai / International Relations
[Freeman Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Perla CERVANTES / Earlham College / Waseda University / History [Robert Grondine Memorial Bridging
Scholar]
Patricia CLOSE / College of St. Benedict / Bunkyo Gakuin / Asian Studies [TOMODACHI Bridging Scholar]
Ian COMBS / Northern Kentucky University / Gifu University / Biological Sciences [Exxon Mobil Bridging
Scholar]
Haley CREEF / East Carolina University / Tokyo International University / Economics; Computer Science
[Freeman Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Taylor CROSWELL / Willamette University / Tokyo International University / Economics [Amway Japan
Bridging Scholar]
Nailah DAVIS / New College of Florida / Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies (USAC) /
East Asian Studies [TOMODACHI Bridging Scholar]
Jacqueline DELARA / North Central College / Kanda University of Foreign Studies (IES) /
Business Administration
Dominique DiGIACOMO / Rowan University / JF Oberlin / Education; English [Freeman Foundation
Bridging Scholar]
Hien DO / University of Oregon / Senshu University / Operation & Business Analytics [Freeman Foundation
Bridging Scholar]
Lyssa DOUGLAS / University of Memphis / Nagoya Gakuin / Japanese [Oak Lawn Marketing Bridging
Scholar]
Jacob ECKMANN / University of Wisconsin, Madison / University of Hokkaido / Biochemistry [Exxon Mobil
Bridging Scholar]
Rachel FISCHER / Ohio State University / Nanzan University / Japanese [AIG Bridging Scholar]
Rachel FLATT / Middlebury College / International Christian University / Global Gtudies [Freeman
Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Nora FUJITA-YUHAS / Occidental College / Kanda University of Foreign Studies (IES) / Politics
[TOMODACHI Bridging Scholar]
Alexis GREB / Grand Valley State University / International Christian University / Geography; sustainable
planning [JUSFC Bridging Scholar]
Harriet HALL / Eastern Michigan University / Japan Center for Michigan Universities / Japanese
[TOMODACHI Bridging Scholar]
Jeremy HICKS / Oklahoma State University / Shinshu University / Agriculture Education [JUSFC
Bridging Scholar]
Hai Nhu HO / University of Houston / JF Oberlin / Kinesiology [Oak Lawn Marketing Bridging Scholar]
Elma HOFFMAN / University of Chicago / Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies / Comparative Literature
[JUSFC Bridging Scholar]
Hannah HUDNALL / Miami University of Ohio / Kansai Gaidai / International Studies
Tiarha HUERTA / UCLA / International Christian University / Psychology [Freeman Foundation Bridging
Scholar]
Marco KAISTH / University of Chicago/ Waseda University / Computer Science [Lockheed Martin Bridging
Scholar]
Robert KAUFFMAN / Drexel University / Akita International University / Animation [Freeman Foundation
Bridging Scholar]
Victoria KHROBOSTOVA / Rhode Island School of Design / Kyoto Seika University / Illustration
Margaret KRIEBEL / Ohio Wesleyan University / Waseda University / Comparative Literature [Freeman
Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Jayachandra KURA / University of Florida / Kansai Gaidai / Physiology
Phung LE / Stanford University / Doshisha University / Biology
Derrick LEE / Dixie State University (UT) / Meijo University / Computer Science [Exxon Mobil Bridging
Scholar]
Jacalyn LI / University of California, San Diego / International Christian University / Computer Engineering
[AIG Bridging Scholar]
De’Jia LONG-HILLIE / University of Maryland, Baltimore County / Nanzan University / Global Studies
[JUSFC Bridging Scholar]
Hannah LYONS / St. Olaf College / Nagoya University / Asian Studies
Michael MANTOOTH / Dartmouth College / Temple University Japan Campus / Native American Studies;
Economics [Temple University Japan Campus Bridging Scholar]
William MARTIN / Colorado State University / Kansai Gaidai / International Studies [AIG Bridging Scholar]
Raine MCLELLAN / Cal Polytechnic San Luis Obispo / University of Tsukuba / Psychology [Freeman
Foundation Bridging Scholar]
David McMILLIAN / California State University, Chico / Hiroshima University / Illustration; Asian Studies
[TOMODACHI Bridging Scholar]
Michael MERRITT / University of Houston / Hiroshima University (USAC) / Chemistry [Exxon Mobil Bridging
Scholar]
Jamie MI / University of California, Riverside / Waseda University / English; Japanese [TOMODACHI
Bridging Scholar]
Arjun MOORE / Knox College / Waseda University / Asian Studies [Freeman Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Susan MOORE / Texas Tech University / KCP International / Electrical Engineering [Lockheed Martin
Bridging Scholar]
Molly MOTES / University of Missouri, St. Louis / Toyo University / Japanese; English [Freeman Foundation
Bridging Scholar]
Sumayyah MUMFORD / Earlham College / Waseda University / Japanese Studies [TOMODACHI Bridging
Scholar]
Chloe NEUNSINGER / University of North Carolina, Greensboro / Nagoya University of Foreign Studies /
Business [Oak Lawn Marketing Bridging Scholar]
Christine NGUYEN / San Jose State University / Kyushu University / Linguistics [Freeman Foundation
Bridging Scholar]
Zoe NIVER / Hobart & William Smith Colleges / Japan Center for Michigan Universities / Studio Art [Freeman
Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Hikmah OKOYA / Bowdoin College / Nanzan University (IES) / Neuroscience [Freeman Foundation Bridging
Scholar]
Gwynette PAEZ / University of California, Irvine / Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies / Education
[Freeman Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Melissa PURNELL / Johnson & Wales University / Sophia University (CIEE) /Pastry Arts;
Food Service Management [Oak Lawn Marketing Bridging Scholar]
Serah REYES / Oklahoma State University / Kansai Gaidai / Global Studies [Freeman Foundation Bridging
Scholar]
Lindsey ROOSA / University of Montana / Sophia University / Political Science [TOMODACHI Bridging
Scholar]
Cara ROSNER / Montclair State University / Temple University Japan Campus / Linguistics [Temple
University Japan Campus Bridging Scholar]
Jennifer RUPRECHT / San Diego State University / Sophia University / International Business [Amway
Japan Bridging Scholar]
Erica SASAKI / California State University, Long Beach / Ritsumeikan University / Child Development
[TOMODACHI Bridging Scholar]
Isabel SEICOL / Earlham College / Waseda University / Comparative Languages & Linguistics [Freeman
Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Carly SHIEVER / Hobart & William Smith Colleges / Japan Center for Michigan Universities /
International Relations; Asian Studies [Freeman Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Alexis SHOUSHOUNOVA / University of Wisconsin, Madison / Nanzan University / Japanese;
East Asian Studies [Freeman Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Shechinah SMITH / University of Memphis / Nanzan University (ISEP) / International Business; Film [Oak
Lawn Marketing Bridging Scholar]
Camrick SOLORIO / University of Chicago / Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies / East Asian Studies
[Freeman Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Jayden THOMAS / Temple University (PA) / Western Kentucky University / Kansai Gaidai /
International Affairs [Freeman Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Ryoma THOMAS / University of Mississippi / Nanzan University / Mechanical Engineering [Freeman
Foundation Bridging Scholar]
Darlene TINSLEY / Ursinus College (PA) / Syracuse University / Kansai Gaidai / Radio & Film; English
[TOMODACHI Bridging Scholar]
Sheila TODOROVAC / University of North Texas / Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies (USAC) /
Japanese
Taike TOLBERT / University of Georgia / Waseda University / Electrical Engineering [Lockheed Martin
Bridging Scholar]
Jason VALDES / University of Rhode Island / Niigata University / Mechanical Engineering [Lockheed Martin
Bridging Scholar]
Eunice VALENZUELA / Carleton College / Waseda University / Japanese [Freeman Foundation Bridging
Scholar]
Lorenz VARGAS / George Washington University / Waseda University / international affairs [Morgan Stanley Bridging Scholar]
Kylan VOORHEES / Utah State University / Waseda University / Human Movement [Ira Wolf Memorial
Bridging Scholar]
Sarah WILHELM Willamette University / Tokyo International University / Japanese Studies
Isaac WITTENBERG / Western Michigan University / Ritsumeikan University / Japanese / [TOMODACHI
Bridging Scholar]
Myqyel ZIMMERMAN / University of Oregon / Waseda University / Social Sciences [Freeman Foundation
Bridging Scholar]
Rebeckah ZORA / University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth / Kyoto University of Foreign Studies / English
