Lauren Cook-Sather

While I didn’t start as a Japanese Studies major, I’m really happy to be finishing as one. Something about my schedule every semester had a common denominator: a Japanese Studies course. I knew I wanted to study abroad, but I wanted to actually enjoy it to the fullest and have Japanese language as a tool to utilize. I have met so many wonderful people because I learned Japanese, and even shown many Japanese students the United States just as they showed me Japan.
My favorite class I’ve taken at William & Mary is absolutely Prof. Cronin’s Japan’s Ghost and Demons. Being able to see shrines, anime references, and more when I visited Japan absolutely amplified my experience. I wouldn’t have had such a special time without that class.