Episode 22 Serena Tamura (ASIJ 2008) Scientist  

Serena explains to Nick how the COVID QPCR tests operate, and what her role entails in regards to the PCR testing in California as a volunteer scientist.  Serena explains to Nick how many of the graduate students received an email in the spring asking volunteers to analyze the samples of COVID tests, and many have come through and are currently volunteering to help with the process of COVID-19 detection.   The two discuss the frustrations of seeing people in the United States who do not wear masks, and yes. "WEAR MASKS PEOPLE!".  Serena explains to Nick the topic of her doctoral research where she is developing genetic therapy for autism, and how she uses a tool called CRISPR, which allows scientists to look at genes, and research their mutation.  The two discuss how Serena began to develop a true interest in biology in University, and how the study of psychiatric disorders and learning how to analyze the biology itself of those diseases gave her passion to seek treatment for what could be perceived often as "untreatable diseases"  *the audio for this episode lags at times.  

Serena Tamura (ASIJ 2008) 

Serena Tamura graduated from ASIJ in 2008, after which she attended Stanford University where she majored in Human Biology with a concentration in Neurobiology and Behavior.  She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California San Francisco in the Dept. of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and is developing CRISPR based gene therapies for rare genetic disorders.  She lives in San Francisco with her husband Andrew and two dogs.  Timestamps 0:05 Introduction

Episode 21 

Shu explains to Nick how understanding the art of coaching wrestling has helped him become a better educator.   ​Shu explains to Nick how wrestling is the most egalitarian sport in the world. The weight classes enable the skinniest lightest student and the heaviest students in the school still have an opportunity to win within their weight class. And the techniques can often be acquired within a high school, unlike sports like basketball and soccer where playing the sport in elementary and middle school is often imperative for a student to excel at the high school level. Shu also explains to Nick how the nature of the sport being a contact/combat sport brings together the team, and makes it the ultimate "team sport", despite the events being 1 v 1.  The former Far East champion wrestler speaks to Nick about his psychologically and physically most challenging moments as a St. Mary's wrestler.   Wrestling was kicked out of the Olympics in 2013, and since then, many changes have taken place in the sport. ​The two discuss how the rules of wrestling have changed in recent years, and how those changes have affected wrestling today. Shu explains how the coaching standards were changed in 2013, and how he was part of the first cohort for international coaching in 2014.   The two discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a 3-season sport system vs a year-long sports system, and how it is contingent upon the athlete in regards to which methodology works best for him or her.  

Shuichiro Yabui ​

After graduating St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo, Mr. Yabui earned his B.B.A. from Temple University; serving as the president of the student government and graduating top of his class. During his high school wrestling career, he accomplished to be a 3-time DoDDs (Department of Defense Dependent schools) Far East wrestling champion. ​ After graduating university, he developed a unique English learning curriculum and founded Yabui School of English, providing English teaching and translation services.  Later on, he assumed position as the head wrestling coach at his alma mater and led the team to win 4 consecutive DoDDs Far East tournament titles for the first time in school history. In 2014, he was certified as Asia’s first United World Wrestling (UWW) Educator. As an Educator, he supports in the development of national coaches mainly in the Asia and Oceania regions.  Currently, he teaches the International Baccalaureate Economics course and Business Ethics as the high school social studies department head at St. Mary’s. Using his bilingual ability, he also serves as the Chair of the International Relations Committee of the Japan Masters Wrestling Federation as well as assists in UWW’s coach education development projects and media translations.

Disclaimer: “The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the individuals and do not reflect the views or policies of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.”

Janet explains to Nick why she became a lawyer. She describes how her passion and interests such as international relations and philosophy were intertwined with international law, and she found the occupation to be both intellectually stimulating and a challenge she was willing to take on.

As a philosophy major, Janet explains to Nick how many of the great philosophical questions we have as a society, often connect to how we view the justice system overall, and understanding philosophy helped her better comprehend how and why these legal systems existed in different nations.

The two discuss the LSATs and preparation for Law School. Janet explains to Nick how the 3-years at law school work, and how the system of the "P14 schools" can affect the job hunt process for those who are attending law school. She also explains to Nick how the job hunt process essentially begins from year one, since the two summers law school students have are an essential time for them to get work experience between their studies.

The two discuss the bar exam, and Janet explains how law school students prepare for the exam, and how the bar is different depending on the state.

Janet clarifies for Nick what many companies mean when they say pro bono, and how some companies utilize a billing system that encourages their employees to work on cases which are pro bono. Janet explains to Nick how choosing a firm that had a very flexible pro bono system was one of the factors in regards to why she chose to work for her current law firm.

Janet explains to Nick how right now is an excellent opportunity for any Japanese speaker to attend law school, and that there is consistently and constantly a demand for Japanese speakers who also have passed the bar. She explains how there is a system present where you could work in Tokyo as a US lawyer through going through the 外国法事務弁護士 system.

Janet Wold Kanzawa (ASIJ 2010)

Janet graduated from Vassar College in 2014, where she majored in Philosophy and International Studies and minored in Economics and Arabic. She returned to Tokyo for one year to work at ASIJ and coach volleyball and field hockey.

Janet then moved to New York City to attend Columbia Law School. Upon graduation, Janet began her legal career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s New York office, where she completed rotations in the Banking & Credit and Capital Markets groups. Janet recently transferred to Simpson Thacher’s Los Angeles office, where she represents private equity funds, corporations, and banks in financing matters. She has enjoyed doing pro bono legal work for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Episode 20 Janet Wold Kanzawa - ​Lawyer

Janet explains to Nick why she became a lawyer. She describes how her passion and interests such as international relations and philosophy were intertwined with international law, and she found the occupation to be both intellectually stimulating and a challenge she was willing to take on.

As a philosophy major, Janet explains to Nick how many of the great philosophical questions we have as a society, often connect to how we view the justice system overall, and understanding philosophy helped her better comprehend how and why these legal systems existed in different nations.

​The two discuss the LSATs and preparation for Law School. Janet explains to Nick how the 3-years at law school work, and how the system of the "P14 schools" can affect the job hunt process for those who are attending law school. She also explains to Nick how the job hunt process essentially begins from year one, since the two summers law school students have are an essential time for them to get work experience between their studies.

The two discuss the bar exam, and Janet explains how law school students prepare for the exam, and how the bar is different depending on the state.

Janet clarifies for Nick what many companies mean when they say pro bono, and how some companies utilize a billing system that encourages their employees to work on cases which are pro bono. Janet explains to Nick how choosing a firm that had a very flexible pro bono system was one of the factors in regards to why she chose to work for her current law firm.

Janet explains to Nick how right now is an excellent opportunity for any Japanese speaker to attend law school, and that there is consistently and constantly a demand for Japanese speakers who also have passed the bar. She explains how there is a system present where you could work in Tokyo as a US lawyer through going through the 外国法事務弁護士 system.

Janet Wold Kanzawa (ASIJ 2010)

Janet graduated from Vassar College in 2014, where she majored in Philosophy and International Studies and minored in Economics and Arabic. She returned to Tokyo for one year to work at ASIJ and coach volleyball and field hockey.

Janet then moved to New York City to attend Columbia Law School. Upon graduation, Janet began her legal career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s New York office, where she completed rotations in the Banking & Credit and Capital Markets groups. Janet recently transferred to Simpson Thacher’s Los Angeles office, where she represents private equity funds, corporations, and banks in financing matters. She has enjoyed doing pro bono legal work for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Tokyo Alumni Podcast Episode 19

Kai explains to Nick how he went from having a 1.60 GPA in high school to earning a Bachelors in Science at Santa Clara, and currently pursuing a Masters's degree at the University of Melbourne. He explains to Nick what events in his life prompted him to go back to school, and why he chose to study information, data, and computer science.

Kai explains to Nick what the greatest challenges were for him throughout his academic journey at public school, private school, American schools, International Schools, and Australian schools, and how confidence has been a continual theme in regards to how he hoped to improve as an academic and professional.

The two discuss the importance of one creating a new environment, and how change can sometimes only happen through a change of scenery as opposed to a change in ones self. Kai explains to Nick the curriculum and education he has found most effective, and those he had found least effective based on the various schools and school systems he had attended.

Kai finishes the podcast with the advice he would have towards any students who are struggling in high school.

After dropping out of St.Mary’s with a 1.6 GPA, Kai took the route of obtaining GED and attending community college to get a second chance at getting educated.

He eventually attended and graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Information Systems.

Kai has worked as a data engineer at a machine learning startup in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as a data analyst at Airbnb Tokyo.

He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Computer Science at the University of Sydney.

Episode 16: Dr. Yannik Pitcan (ASIJ 2007)

Episode 17: Benjamin Simon (ASIJ 2006)

Precious Metals Trader

​

Benjamin explains to Nick his journey as a TCK, navigating through both French and American schools, and ultimately choosing to graduate through the American system after attending ASIJ and Shanghai American School.

The two discuss and reminisce how global the experience was attending an international school, as Nick pointed out Benjamins group of friends alone was a mini-EU with a student from Bulgaria, another from Sweden, an Italian, and Benjamin (French).

Benjamin shares with Nick stories of how his background of being a "TCK" (Third Culture Kid), had helped him throughout his career course, and has helped him work in the various multi-cultural teams he has served in for the various transnational corporations he has worked for. Benjamin also explains how the way he entered the banking industry and trading industry was not the standard way one would go from college to work, and instead, he was able to specifically leverage his background a multicultural TCK to help him get positions in banks, which eventually helped him land the work he pursues today.

Benjamin explains to Nick the life of a precious metals trader, and how the market has been affected by the recent outbreak of COVID-19. He provides Nick with pointers for beginner investors, and what to be careful about when it comes to investment for products such as gold, silver, and platinum. The two also touch upon the topic of bitcoin in the market, and the often drawn parallel of bitcoin and gold.

Nick asks Benjamin about whether the new platforms for trading has increased the level of day trading, and Benjamin agrees that it has, and shares an anecdote from his experience on a taxi in Shanghai that illustrates this point.

Benjamin Simon

Precious Metals Trader

Benjamin graduated HEC Montreal in 2010 with a Bachelor in Business Administration. He started his career at ANZ Bank, working as a front office assistant for the markets division. After a year, he managed to move to a front office role as a junior trader on the Precious Metals desk. He subsequently moved to their London office where he became responsible for their forwards business. He has now moved to the buy-side and is working for KOCH Supply and Trading as a prop precious metals trader.

To kick start his professional career Benjamin was able to leverage on the opportunities of growing up as a TCK, not only did it open his doors at the start of his career but it also enabled him to be flexible and be a natural fit within multicultural teams.

Benjamin has been living in London since 2012 and now enjoys discovering the UK as well as new European cities for holidays.

Episode 15: Matt Jay (ASIJ 1999-2004)

Matt begins the podcast explaining his shirt, designed by "That Year" his label, and how his label came to be, and what the label means to him and how it is a symbol that goes beyond its title as a clothing label.

The two discuss how Asian representation in popular culture has changed the past few decades, and how that has affected their personal perspectives in regards to Asians in the entertainment/art industries.

Matt explains to Nick the ins and outs of Art school, and the type of career paths one could take upon graduating from art-specific colleges.

Matt explains to Nick how his project "End of Summer" came to fruition, and how the program connects contemporary artists from Tokyo and Portland.

Matt originally majored in film, but currently pursues an area of art more on the management side. He explains to Nick how although he no longer pursues directing itself, how there is a single thread, of art and culture, which connect from his time as a young film director as a teen to the curator and art organizer he is today. Matt also explains how his formative years in Tokyo, and at ASIJ molded much of the person he would become today.

Matt Jay (ASIJ 1999-2004) Curator, Arts Organizer​

Matt Jay is the Founder and Director of End of Summer, a cross-cultural art program dedicated to exploring and supporting contemporary art from Japan. End of Summer exists to build a dialogue between the U.S., specifically the region of the Pacific Northwest, and Japan through contemporary art. Through this entry point, the program aims to engage in a larger exploration of Japanese art in the era of global artistic practice, as well as the continual reconsideration of notions of East and West, center and periphery.

He also co-runs THAT YEAR, an independent clothing label and creative studio inspired by the vernacular aesthetics of Tokyo and Seoul, and the echoes of personal memory. THAT YEAR develops products, events, physical and digital media, as well as cultural insight, strategy, and creative direction.

Matt attended School of Visual Arts in New York, receiving his BFA in 2011. He was born in New York, and raised between Portland, Oregon and Tokyo, Japan.

Episode 14 Monica Murray (ASIJ 2011) Touring Photographer ​ 

Monica describes to Nick what it was like being in Japan, and at ASIJ during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.  Monica explains to Nick how she had a "culture shock" when moving back to the USA (Michigan), and how life now in "the South", Nashville, was a major adjustment in comparison to life in Japan.  Monica speaks to Nick what type of person she thinks would thrive in the music industry, and addresses the issue of misogyny and sexism in the entertainment industry.  Through having a support role for the channel, GemsOnVHS, she learned how a support role can contribute just as much as the main role, and Monica explains how if one is passionate about art, they can contribute to art not necessarily as an artist, but as an individual who supports the art creating process.   Nick asks Monica how the revenue system works for Youtube, and Monica explains to him how COVID-19 has affected ad revenue in the industry. Nick also inquires about how COVID-19 has affected the music industry in general, and Monica explains to him what she has seen first hand in regard to the music scene in Nashville, Tennessee.    

Monica Murray (ASIJ 2011)

Episode 13