Hey, Mom! This one’s for you!

I just picked this up from PSU today, as I am now officially a member of the Phi Sigma Iota (Language) Honor Society. Of course, none of this would have been possible without my Mom and little brother, Juan, who have supported me in my strange desire to learn a language other than English and/or Tagalog. I also have so many Friends and family, (especially the Kagi family!) for all of the countless support throughout the years. Another big Thank You goes out to Junko (Mura-Sensei), who enticed me to continue learning the Japanese language when I was only a sophomore in high school. May you rest in peace.

Another Thank You goes out to the Marine Corps for sending me to Okinawa, which not only gave me an indescribable international experience, but also helped to fuel my passion for the Japanese culture in the long-run. Finally, to every single one of my Japanese teachers, mentors and tutors that have helped me along the way: Chieko-Sensei, Ito-Sensei, Okuhara-Sensei, Sato-Sensei, Kamei-Sensei, Watanabe-Sensei, Konomi-Sensei, Holdt-Sensei, Furukawa-Sensei, Hayashi-Sensei, Nishimaki-Sensei, Bond-Sensei, Kindler-Sensei, Saki-san, Ami-san, Rina-san, Ikuko-san, Yamagami-san:

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
心のそこから感謝します。