Nanzan Application Essay

My name is Cody James Svientek, I'm a 20 year old student at Illinois State University. I'm not

exactly the most socially outgoing person, but I enjoy studying many things, two of which are Japan

and politics. My affection with Japan began when I was a young boy. I watched old Samurai movies,

animated TV shows and some live dramas, establish a shogi and i-go club at my college, and made

friends with Japanese people studying in America. I want to be immersed in the culture so that I can

continue studying kanji and grammar. I enjoy the sophistication of the language. I was born with a

gifted memory so I feel that I can soak up and retain my experiences while living there.

I am interested in the Nanzan University study abroad program for two reasons, the first is that I

wish to learn the specialty Japanese politics, business, language, and art courses offered at your

university. I wish to become a politics major, so eventually I can study law or be part of government,

perhaps in diplomatic services. I'm interested in the history of governments and individuals and how

their systems have worked, and the intricacies of diplomacy and bartering on a professional level. So,

in order to broaden my knowledge on politics I would like to study Japanese politics in a Japan.

The second reason is that the University is near downtown Nagoya Japan, and I can enjoy my

hobbies relating to Japan. A short list of my hobbies include learning how to cook sushi and fried

Japanese cuisine, sight seeing castles and other historic Japanese shrines, learning the language and

culture, and studying martial arts. I'm a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and I wish to learn other foreign

styles. When I return to America and participate in local Japanese clubs, I can then teach others about

Japanese culture. This will also give me the opportunity to met with old exchange friends who live in

the Nagoya area. If I were to be accepted, then I would be in short distance to areas where I can

partake in my favorite activities.

I feel like I am qualified for this program because I have studied Japanese for three years. I am

ready and willing to immerse and challenge myself to become fluent. I've had difficulties studying
Kanji because of its complexities, but I anticipate this program will push me to use Kanji more which

will promote my academic development.

Also I have studied Asian politics in the past, some relating to China and Taiwan, and others in South

Asia, but my college does not offer courses about Japan. This will be a great opportunity to specialize

in Japanese politics.

Some of my background qualifications include participating in debate club and chess club in

high school. I became president of the chess club and my responsibilities included managing the group

and organizing the tournaments at my school. I've also been active in mock trial as one of the jury

members, and currently I am helping my American politics professor and fellow students establish a

campus student government organization.

I feel like this program will provide tremendous opportunities not just in a professional sense

but also with personal happiness. Whether my success will be after law school or in a government

position, the experience of really learning the culture and the language can not be achieved by staying

here and only reading on the subjects . Beyond the academics, living with a host family for a academic

year will cement the social nuances one can only get with firsthand guidance from natives.

While I know leaving the comfort of home to live in an alien environment is quite a difficult

feat, I've learned about Japanese culture, laws, traditions, and living customs from watching TV,

reading about Japan, and taking a Japanese language and anthropology class, and I feel confident I can

handle the change. I feel that living with a host family would help me adapt to the new country, but it

won't hurt to meet up with old Japanese exchange friends and seek their assistance.

Wrapping up, I would like to declare that while my current GPA is not favorable for your

standards, for the most part, I've been a successful student in high school and college. I had some

personal issues I had to work through in my first year at Illinois State University. As you can see from

the remainder of my transcript, I have successfully done so and my grades in the subsequent years

reflect that. I feels these grades, my abilities, and my passion will not only meet but exceed your
standards. I look forward to flourishing in this wonderful opportunity.