Japanese Major, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Minor
Hometown: Mayfield Heights, Ohio
   
For the past four years, Laura Maurer has been learning Japanese – not only the language but also the culture – in preparation for her future career teaching language to others.
   
After graduation in May, Maurer will travel to Japan for three years to teach English to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. She also will teach one elementary school class each week. Her ultimate goal is to return to America and teach Japanese.
   
During the 2007-2008 academic year, Maurer completed a one-year study abroad program at Fukui University in Japan where she studied Japanese, attended classes and immersed herself in the culture. “It was the best experience I have ever been through,” said Maurer, who took advantage of opportunities to travel within the country and experienced as much of Japan as she was able.
   

Laura, center right, poses with friends while wearing a traditional kimono in Japan.

Because Fukui is located in a rural area, Maurer was able to see both the countryside and the cities of Japan. A major train station was located within a 20-minute walk of where she lived, making it easy to get to some of the more popular sights. She also had the opportunity to visit a couple of Japanese families she had met through other UF activities prior to her study abroad.
   
Maurer’s study abroad experience was not her first time in Japan, which lessened the culture shock she experienced upon her arrival. The previous summer, she went as part of the Kake Bridge Program, a four-week cultural exchange held each year. The University sends a group of students, faculty and staff to Japan, and each fall, a group of Japanese students and other representatives experience Ohio.
   
When she is in the United States, Maurer continues to involve herself in the Japanese culture by participating in activities on campus and within the Findlay community. Because of her involvement, she received the Friends of Findlay Award in 2007; the award is given to a community member who shows support for the local Japanese community. Maurer also received the Harada Seeds for Growth Award during the 2009 Symposium for Scholarship and Creativity on campus.
   
During her freshman and sophomore year, Maurer helped teach Japanese to Findlay City School students in the Findlay After and Before School Sessions (FABSS). Local Japanese women also volunteered to help with FABSS, giving Maurer additional exposure to native speakers.
   
The University also hosts Japanese-program events during the academic year, such as program gatherings featuring speakers who share their own experiences with the Japanese culture. Maurer spoke at one such event after her return from Fukui.
   
Maurer said the gatherings also are a good way to introduce first-year Japanese students to Japanese food, which Maurer loves and even cooks herself.
   
During her senior year, Maurer has been tutoring three Japanese employees at Bridgestone, a company that brings Japanese employees to work in the Findlay plant. Once each week, Maurer spends one hour with each employee. “It’s really good practice for teaching English,” she said. “I get to put what I learn into practice.”
   

Laura enjoys painting in her spare time. Photo by M. Marrash

In her spare time, Maurer enjoys activities such as sewing and art, and she enjoys anime, a form of Japanese animation found in a variety of media. Maurer says having hobbies is important because “if you have a hobby, you have a getaway – something to do when you are frustrated with your job or with studying.”
   
Maurer’s interest in anime is what first introduced her to the Japanese culture when she was in middle school. Both she and her brother started watching anime cartoons and quickly developed a mutual interest in the subject. By the time she was a junior in high school, Maurer knew she wanted to learn much more about the Japanese culture and language.
   
She’d decided to pursue a career that involved the Japanese language, and after one visit to The University of Findlay, she knew it was where she needed to be. “Based on the classes and the intensity, and the activities outside of classes and the opportunities for study abroad, I knew this was the school,” said Maurer. “I came here and I have never regretted that decision.”

Laura studies in the Alumni Memorial Union. Photo by M. Marrash