I initially came in as a pre-med student with intentions of applying to medical school, but after taking GLBL 210 and receiving the CGI Award to volunteer in the Philippines my plans began to change. During sophomore year I traveled to Nicaragua with Global Medical Training to pursue my interest in medicine, but after that trip I knew I no longer wanted to be a doctor and wanted to pursue international relations. The summer of my junior year I participated in Bard's Global and International Affairs program, where I took classes with Bard College in New York City and interned with the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. In my senior year, I was awarded the Foreign Language and Area Studies scholarship and participated in the Kakehashi Program through the Kenan-Flagler Business School. The Kakehashi program solidified my plans to want to work with Japan-US relations in the future, because the program introduced me to many opportunities that can be available to me in the future.