Crafting His Own Narrative

Jared Namba (second row, third from the left) is no stranger to the experience of studying abroad while in college. Namba, a recent graduate and member of the Class of 2016, was given the opportunity to spend time abroad in Japan not once, not twice, but three times throughout the course of his academic career at Columbia. Currently, Namba is a prestigious Fulbright Scholar in South Korea, where he teaches English for 22 hours a week, participating in research and travel during the rest of his 9-month period abroad.

Specifically citing the Core, Namba explains that coming to Columbia College “was a no-brainer” for him:

“I saw it as a quality education that would offer me an interactive and deeply immersive college education.”

Though he initially considered a major in Economics, Namba had a change of heart during his sophomore year: “I chose East Asian Languages and Cultures because, though the job prospects are perhaps less abundant, I wanted to see where it would take me. I have always recognized my passion for language – it’s been a passion of mine for many years. I am someone who likes to look inward and say, ‘What do I like? Let’s go from there.’”

After declaring his East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALAC) major, Namba applied to the Princeton in Ishikawa program – a three-month summer program set in the Japanese countryside of Ishikawa, devoted to intensive language studies. He explains, “I thought the countryside would be the best option for me because I am a language fiend.” He does not kid around. Over the past few years, Namba has studied English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and German. As Namba became more involved with Columbia’s Japanese Language Program within EALAC, his advisors recommended that he apply for the Shirato Fund Scholarship – a scholarship that would allow his summer in Ishikawa to be almost entirely funded by the department. Much to his surprise, Namba was granted the scholarship, and spent the summer of 2014 studying Japanese, immersing himself in Japanese culture and ultimately furthering his love of the major.

“With that experience under my belt, I had a lot of momentum entering junior year. I felt much more reassured in my major choice, and more comfortable with my humanities-based curriculum.” During his junior year, Namba was given the unique opportunity to apply to a second program in Japan. At Columbia’s World Leaders’ Forum in spring 2015, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe pledged to fund a program for 50 students to visit Japan for a 10-day youth exchange program called the Kakehashi Project. Namba rushed to apply through the Office of Global Programs, and was given a coveted spot on the trip. In May 2015, Namba, along with 49 other CC, SEAS, and GS students, traveled to Japan for a culturally immersive travel expedition. “It was great because I met so many people in the Columbia community with whom I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten the chance to interact. I never knew that we had such a diverse group of students on campus.” Namba cites his time on the trip as one of the highlights of his Columbia experience. Truly inspired, Namba returned to Japan the very next month for an internship at an education consulting company called Active Learning, based in Tokyo.

Ever humble when describing his achievements, Namba says he “had never thought about the Fulbright Program until after my junior year because it seemed so distant and unattainable.” The Office of Global Programs reassured him of the many options available upon graduation given his extensive experiences abroad. Says Namba, “There are so many opportunities, and I was so surprised by that. If I can extend my education beyond my time here at Columbia, that is what I want to do.” He received notice of his acceptance to the Fulbright Program in March. Having confirmed his passions for language instruction and education through his travels in Japan and his major, Namba decided that he wanted to teach English to students in South Korea. “Getting accepted to the program was such a nice way to round out my Columbia education,” Namba explains. “I never saw this coming. To look back and be able to say to myself that I made the right decision when I switched my major to EALAC has been such a gratifying and rewarding feeling. I am very thankful for it.”

As Namba prepares for his time in South Korea, he is starting to think about what he hopes to create in his own classroom environment. His experience in Art Humanities serves as a model moving forward: “Art Hum was a comfortable environment, and yet everyone was so eager and motivated to participate. If you can strike that kind of balance in a classroom, that’s incredible. And my professor, Olivia Powell, did that so effortlessly. That’s the kind of environment and learning experience that I want to recreate for my own students.” Similarly, experiences within his own major department not only pushed Jared to pursue his love of language, but they also further present examples of positive academic experiences on which he plans to draw when he becomes a teacher. Professor Kyoto Matsui Loetscher – or, Matsui Sensei, as Namba calls her – greatly impacted Namba’s experience within the EALAC Department. “She is so approachable and I felt so comfortable in her class. Though she taught me during my first year here, she has stayed an immense source of support for me throughout college. I can’t thank her enough.” After he completes his Fulbright, Namba envisions pursuing graduate school or exploring further teaching opportunities. “I’d love to see how far my passion for teaching can take me,” he says.

Namba credits his success to the newfound perspective he gained when he became an EALAC major. “I kind of pivoted on my life perspective. I’m going to live in the moment and see what the future presents to me. It’s been incredibly rewarding. If you go into the humanities, it forces you to put yourself out there; you end up experiencing things that you never would have thought possible. Looking back, if you’ve succeeded and done things that you are proud of, that change can be very gratifying. It’s sort of like crafting your own narrative.”