Hi! My name is Quynh Quach, and I am currently a sophomore at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. I am majoring in Biology and minoring in Japanese, and I am aiming to become a physician’s assistant in the near future. My family moved to Oregon ten years ago from Vietnam, and being able to live and attend school in the United States has taught me that a student’s life is not all academic, but there are experiences to be gained outside of the classroom as well. Therefore, studying abroad has been one of the things I have always wanted to do, and being in college has given me a chance to make this real. I am applying to study at Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata, Japan. Being able to study in Japan will greatly help me improve my Japanese as well as broaden my understanding about one of the oldest Asian cultures and societies. The experience of studying abroad will be invaluable not only to my academic career, but also my personal life thereafter.