Another introduction...

Hey everyone,

I'm Leah Flake, the vice-chairperson of the 62nd American Executive Committee for JASC. I'm a junior at Smith College in Massachusetts, majoring in Engineering. Last year, I attended the 61st JASC as a delegate of the Environment and Sustainable Development Roundtable.

Next summer during JASC, I'll be leading a roundtable (with my Japanese counterpart Hiroki), again with an Environmantal focus, entitled "Spreading Environmental Awareness in Industrial Developing Nations." I'll share more about this RT later on, but part of the idea behind the roundtable is to assess international involvement (especially from the US and Japan) in the development of environmental policy and increasing environmental consciousness in the industrialized developing world.

Besides my role in JASC, I love Japanese culture and language, and am attempting to learn Japanese at Smith... it's a nice break from the harsh engineering curriculum. This summer was my first time in Japan, and my interest in the country and its lifestyle was solidified during this amazing travel experience. During this past summer's Japan America Student Conference, we traveled to four areas of Japan and became best friends along the way--I can honestly say I've never had an experience like this before, regardless of the country I was in.

My friend Azusa and I at a Japanese restaurant

For five years, my family has lived near London, England, which is where I attended high school. Before moving to London, I lived in New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin. While each of these places is meaningful in some way, the place I call home right now is London--despite the fact that I am basically 0% British and do not, unfortunately, have any trace of an English accent.

That's all I have to introduce about myself, really... I'm excited to continue working towards the 62nd JASC, and am literally counting the days until all the preparation will finally end--which will mark the beginning of the 62nd Japan-America Student Conference. :) Have a great day, everyone, and I hope you like the blog!

--Leah