As a current senior majoring in Hispanic Studies with a minor in Japanese Studies, I aspire to gain a mastery of both languages with the hopes of becoming a translator. My interests in Japanese culture began at a young age when I watched Pokémon and Card Captors (the American localized version of Card Captor Sakura). However, I didn’t really pursue these interests until middle school when I met an exchange student who introduced me to her favorite music artists, including Hamasaki Ayumi, Utada Hikaru, and Spitz. With the rise in the popularity of YouTube, I spent most of my adolescent and teenage years exploring international bands, a hobby that sparked an insatiable love of languages (and grossly melodramatic telenovelas, but that’s another story). Now, I hope to expand my understanding of Japanese contemporary pop culture while also exposing myself to new experiences.