<p>Hi, my name is Ashley Bell and I am a Junior Political Science major at Santa Clara University. I&#39;ll be spending my spring semester in Nagoya, Japan and am very excited to share my experiences with you. I hope you enjoy seeing Japan through my eyes!</p>

Hi all! My name is Ben Krieger, and I am a rising Junior at Miami University in Oxford, OH. I grew up in the Cleveland area as an aspiring professional football player, but clearly that is a path that I've abandoned because I'll be in Japan during my first season away from the game in fourteen years! I'm very excited to be in Tokyo for the fall, and I've been preparing to be able to at least survive in Tokyo by studying Japanese for the first time ever in Beppu, Japan this summer. I may not be great yet, but hopefully you'll watch me grow as I blog my way through the fall program!

<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Shannon Sunnergren, a 20 year old from the Bay Area. I&#39;m a business student, and lacrosse player, at the University of Redlands.</span></p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Hello, my name is Sofia Rosales Juarez! I am a junior at Carleton College; I am majoring in Studio Art and concentrating in Women&#39;s and Gender Studies. I hope to go to grad school after graduating and become an Art Therapist. I have loved and done digital and photography for 8 years and as a passionate artist, I hope to delight you with my photographs!</span></p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Hi there! I&#39;m Matt Beckstrom, and I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, where I currently live and work. I&#39;m a theatre major with a concentration in acting at Skidmore College. This fall, as a rising junior I am studying at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland. I&#39;ve had a passion for photography for most of my life, and I am so happy to be able to share my experiences with IES.</span></p>

<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Emily Nazario. I am a senior at Ithaca College studying flute performance. This fall, I will be studying abroad in Amsterdam, The Netherlands through IES&#39;s program: Conservatorium van Amsterdam- Direct Enrollment. I am beyond thrilled to have this opportunity to learn and grow, not only in my musical abilities, but also in life experience. I am excited to meet and connect with people from around the world, and immerse myself in a new culture.</span></p>

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<div><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Katie Epner. 20. Pitt. Rochester, NY. Curious, bold and uncommon; here to remind you that there is so much more than meets the eye. Let&rsquo;s get out and explore. (Add me on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/epner)</span></div>

<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Ella Fornari is a biology and media arts double major at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA and hails from Brooklyn, NY. Her interests include but are not limited to zoology, film, digital design, coffee, natural history, photography, scientific media, KenKen puzzles, bicycles, and the third person. She has an encyclopedia-like knowledge of the NYC subway system which will prove useless while she is studying evolution and ecology in the Galapagos Islands</span></p>

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<div><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Alexandra Kohn and I am a junior at Bryn Mawr College. I am a psychology major with minors in child and family studies and Spanish. Outside of academics, I enjoy making art and spending time outside. I am particularly passionate about traveling and I am very excited to spend this semester in Ecuador!</span></div>

<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Hola! My name is Sara Menendez. I&rsquo;m a Communication major and Photography minor at Emerson College. I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela: a city full of people that struggle but that still enjoy life as if it was their last day on earth. I love traveling, discovering new places and cultures, meeting new people and I try to appreciate little things in life because these are the ones that bring us the biggest happiness.</span></p>