ABOUT ME

I’m Will, and I wear a lot of hats! I am passionate about education and intercultural exchange and have a background in technology and product management. I studied Computer Science and Japanese at UC Davis. While I was a student, I studied abroad in Japan and interned at an orphanage in Kumamoto. When I graduated, I lived in Suzuka city in Japan and taught English to elementary school classes ranging from 1st to 6th grade. The opportunity to study abroad and learn about foreign languages and cultures changed my life for the better, so I love getting to help others have the same opportunity. I currently teach beginner conversational Japanese for travelers through the Japanese American Society of Greater Philadelphia. I'm also continuing to study myself—I passed the JLPT N2 exam last year, and will take N1 this year!

Professionally, I also have experience in the tech space and have had the opportunity to utilize my formal technical education. I have experience filling product management roles on multiple teams. I have worked in edtech, digital transformation for the dining industry, and in STEM educational toys (check out Chompshop!)

Now, I’m a master’s student in Japanese Linguistics at University of Hawaii at Mānoa, with the goal of becoming a Japanese language educator. In all of my work, and in my teaching, I aim to bring an empathetic approach to the workplace. I strive to connect with the human in front of me, and understand the “why” for what they want to do. That made me a successful product manager, and ultimately serves my students well in their language learning journeys. Read more in my teaching philosophy here!

Personally, I also love board games and video games, fantasy novels, and weightlifting. I am also fascinated by game design and like to do game jams with my friends! By the way, my favorite Pokémon is Machamp!

よろしくお願いします！