I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Tennessee. From an early age, I developed a deep connection with Japan through a penpal friendship that sparked a lifelong interest in the language and culture. In 1994, I traveled to Japan for the first time as an 8th grader—a trip that profoundly shaped my curiosity of the world.

I later spent my sophomore year of university abroad as an exchange student at the International Christian University (国際基督教大学) in Tokyo during the 1999–2000 academic year. During my junior and senior years at UT, I worked at the International House on campus and led campus tours for incoming exchange students from 2000 to 2002, continuing my commitment to foster cross-cultural understanding.

I established the Benjamin Gregory Scholarship Fund in 2020 in memory of Gregory, my father, who passed away in 2019 after battling Alzheimer’s. This scholarship honors both Gregory’s memory and my enduring belief in the power of international education, inclusion, and global perspective.