I graduated with a B.A. in chemistry and Asian studies (Japan studies concentration) from St. Olaf College in 2011. During my time at St. Olaf, I took courses through 5th-year Japanese, studied abroad for a month in Tokyo, and worked as a teaching assistant for the Japanese department for three years. After graduation, I lived in Kyoto, Japan on a Fulbright Fellowship pursuing a scientific research project I designed. The experiences I had in Kyoto will live with me for the rest of my life, a...