My name is Eamon Dreisbach and I was a communication studies major with a general business minor as well as certificates in geographic information systems and sustainability. In fall 2017, I had the pleasure of spending a semester overseas at Temple’s Tokyo campus. This time abroad provided me with lifelong experiences that benefitted not just my academic life, but personal life as well.
Through the Freeman Scholarship program, I spent a great deal of my time in Japan as an intern with The Japan Times, Japan’s largest English language newspaper. During my stint as an Arts & Culture intern, I had the opportunity to cover the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival. This allowed me to explore parts of the city I would have otherwise never seen, as I attended press screenings and conducted interviews in all corners of Tokyo. Toward the end of my program, I even had the opportunity to interview former Vice President Al Gore Jr., someone who inspires me greatly, as part of the paper’s extensive event coverage.
As part of the scholarship program, I was also given the opportunity to meet a professional mentor in my field of interest. Through this requirement, I took on another internship with renewable energy advisory Mani & Co. Utilizing my passion for sustainability and environmental awareness, I was able to research trends in renewable energy prices and prepare presentations for a business I respected greatly.
Aside from my extracurricular activities, I studied a great deal of interesting and beneficial topics on campus. Through Temple Japan's Japanese Elements course, I learned to read basic hiragana and katakana (as well as a few kanji) over the course of just a few months. I also prepared and pitched a business venture project from scratch as a part of the campus’s Introduction to Asian Business course. My experiences in Japan will stick will me well after graduation day, and Temple Japan's study abroad program is one I would recommend to any student with a penchant for adventure looking to build their professional experience.
As an intern at The Japan Times, I had the opportunity to interview former Vice President Al Gore Jr., someone who inspires me greatly.