2021-2022 Scholarship Recipients
Edwin Rodriguez
Aviles:
Everett Alvarez High School
Edwin’s teacher describes him as “one of the most self-driven, dedicated learners of Japanese that I have had in my career…I have never seen a student reach his level of proficiency after only two years of learning, not to mention one of those years having been online.” Edwin tells us that “World Languages are the most interesting and important thing to me. I want to see Japan with my own two eyes.” A senior, Edwin is the current vice-president of his school’s Japan club, helping to organize a karaoke contest and an ALS charity run. “These experiences have made me become conscious of the importance of living in a world with various cultures, languages and people.”
Fernanda Ayala: Alisal High School
Fernanda is a senior currently enrolled in Japanese level 3, and will soon be a first-generation college student. “Japanese has expanded my view of the world, and I hope to improve my language skills and learn the basics of other languages. I hope that the Wasshoi Foundation pushes me forward to achieve my dreams.” Fernanda’s Japanese teacher tells us, “I have been teaching for more than 20 years, and I have rarely encountered this kind of student. It is an honor and genuinely fun to teach a young person of this caliber.”
Uriel Hernandez Vega:
Everett Alvarez High School
Uriel is a senior currently enrolled in Japanese AP. He describes himself as “completely fluent in Spanish and English; I want to be trilingual and become completely fluent in Japanese. I want to experience attending a Japanese university and studying with Japanese students. I want to experience the culture and language that I’ve learned about in these four years.” Uriel’s teacher describes him as “a great role model for his classmates,” standing out for his exceptional work ethic and academic excellence.