Connect with Former Fellows

My name is Cindy Liu, and I am a Light Fellowship Summer 2023 recipient. I was able to spend my summer abroad in Tokyo at the Sun Academy Nihongo Program, a program specifically made for Yale students! I discovered my favorite Japanese cuisine (dango and cold udon), watched fireworks with new friends through the Japanese buddy system, consistently challenged myself adhering to the language pledge, and developed a love for discovering Ikigai (reason for living) through Japanese arts. If you have any questions about the Light Fellowship, Sun Academy, or your first trip to Japan, feel free to reach out to me!

Hi there! I'm Matthew Elmore Merritt, a '24.5 in Branford College from Bridgeport, Alabama. I major in African American Studies on the pre-med track, pursuing a certificate in Global Health Studies. Last summer, I ventured to Taiwan to take courses in Advanced Mandarin with CET. I'm quite pleased with how CET's course textbooks, emphasis on self-directed learning, and off-campus housing placement enhanced my engagement with Taipei by encouraging me to make meaningful, local connections. Please reach out to me at matthew.merritt@yale.edu if you have any questions! :)

Hi! I’m Ernestina. I’m a junior in Davenport College majoring in Architecture. I started learning Japanese at Yale in L1, and have since studied with Hokkaido International Foundation (in-person), Princeton in Ishikawa (remote), and CET-Osaka (remote). Living in Japan gave me a glimpse of how language shapes a culture's way of life, and online classes introduced me to wonderful teachers and lifelong friends. In terms of architecture, much of my design inspiration comes from Japan and Scandinavia! I’ve also had the amazing opportunity to speak with Japanese architects/urban planners

Hi! My name is James and I spent the 2022-23 academic year at International Christian University through the Middlebury in Japan program as a Light Fellow. As I am a heritage speaker of Japanese, this program's heritage track courses really helped me hone my language skills. Outside of the classroom, I was able to travel a lot and see so much of the country. I also have great memories of campus life, as I was able to make many friends in my dorm and on the school's basketball team. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Hi! My name is Thalia and I spent my summer in Seoul, South Korea at Seoul National University studying Korean! Living in Korea has been one of the best experiences of my college life so far. I spent every day traveling around Seoul experiencing both the more touristy aspects such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Lotte World as well as the day-to-day life aspects of going to cafes to study, having meals with friends, and taking dance lessons (at the TikTok famous 1 Million Dance Studio!). I was also able to leave Seoul a few times to make trips to Incheon, Busan, and Nami Island! I am so thankful to have been given this opportunity by Light to immerse myself in Korean culture and life while furthering my study of the language and hope to do it again if given the opportunity in the future! If you have any questions about the Light Fellowship, my time in Korea, studying abroad, or anything else, please feel free to reach out!!

Hello!! My name is Dean Kenichiro Centa and I am a junior in Jonathan Edwards College studying Global Affairs and East Asian Studies. During the 2022-2023 year, I studied abroad at Nanzan University in Nagoya studying Intensive Japanese!! I have grown up with Japanese culture my whole life because of my half-Japanese background, but being able to live and learn there for a whole year was a dream come true thanks to the Light Fellowship. During my year in Japan, I got to spend lots of time with my family, travel the entire country, and even watch Shohei Ohtani in-person at the Tokyo Dome for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. If there is anything you want to know about life in Japan, the Light Fellowship, or anything at all, feel free to reach out!

Hi! I'm Sophie and spent Summer 2023 studying abroad as part of CET Taiwan. I had the most incredible time exploring Taiwan and embracing the opportunity to try new things such as dance classes and even aerial yoga. I also really enjoyed my Chinese classes at the Chinese Language Division at NTU and the chance to delve into Taiwanese elections and history within this. I hope to return to Taiwan sometime soon!

Hey everyone，大家好！My name is Jerry Feng, a current super sophomore in Davenport. I took a gap year to study abroad in Taiwan at ICLP for the academic year from 2022–2023 with Light. Needless to say, one of the best choices I ever made in life: learned so much about my own culture that I never knew before in addition to finding out lots of new passions and interests related to Chinese language and culture. Travelled to a lot of places in Taiwan as well, so please do not hesitate to reach out regarding anything related to ICLP, Taiwan, China, learning Chinese at Yale, etc!

Hi! My name is Hind, and I attended the Korean Language Institute at Yonsei University the summer before my junior year. My time in Korea was truly unforgettable. I discovered so much about Korean culture, explored regions in Seoul and beyond, and met amazing people from all over the world. I would love to share more about my experience and provide advice for any future Light Fellows! If you have questions about choosing a program, navigating life in Seoul, or anything else, feel free to reach out!

Hi, I'm Lisa and I spent Summer 2021 participating in the CET Beijing program. Although I initially didn't expect much due to the program being virtual, but I ended learning a lot and improved my Chinese significantly. I was also able to expand my knowledge on Chinese history, culture, and social norms. I thoroughly loved hearing from natives about their perspectives towards US-Sino topics and felt this was a very enlightening experience!

Hi! My name is Hailey, and I spent my summer before sophomore year studying Korean at the Korean Language Institute of Yonsei University. My summer in South Korea was one of the best experiences of my entire life. I was able to study at one of the top Korean universities, meet students from all over the globe, immerse myself in the vibrant culture, and also (as a Korean-American) meet family I hadn't seen in years. I would love to talk about my time in Korea and answer any questions about my study abroad experience, so please reach out!

Hi! My name is Lynn and I studied in Taiwan over the summer of 2022 through the Light Fellowship. The past summer was honestly a blur; it was a life-changing experience. I spent almost every weekend travelling (my photo is from the beautiful Alishan and I woke up at 3 AM this day for the sunrise) and soaking in all Taiwan had to offer. I fell in love with the city, the food, the culture, and my classes at ICLP. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Hi! I'm Antonis Christou and I spent the 2022-2023 academic year studying at Yonsei University. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Richard U. Light Fellowship, I had a wonderful year abroad where I made so many friends from around the world, traveled to places all around Korea and east Asia, and ate many extremely yummy foods. One of my favorite parts from my time in Korea was when I traveled to Jeju Island - I was blown away by how beautiful it was and also how kind the people were. Other highlights included seeing the cherry blossoms bloom and exploring all the little neighborhoods in Seoul. Please feel free to reach out about any questions about Light, Korea, or studying abroad in general!

Hello everyone! My name is Yingying, and I'm a senior in TD. I spent the summer after my first year studying at Ewha University. Though I participated in the program virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was still able to make amazing memories with my classmates and travel around to different parts of Korea, such as Busan. If you have any questions about what your experience in Korea might look like and how to get the best out of your time there, please reach out!

Hi! My name is Caitlin and I attended Yonsei’s Korean Language Institute during the fall quarter of my junior year. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience and I am so thankful to the Richard U. Light fellowship which allowed me to reconnect with my extended family and properly experience Asia for the first time. I made unforgettable friendships at Yonsei, both with Americans and internationals, and thoroughly enjoyed my time abroad. Please reach out if you have any questions about the Light Fellowship, studying abroad or literally anything else!

Howdy I'm Hannah, a junior in Branford and I studied Japanese remotely in the summer of 2020. The Light Fellowship really gave me the chance to put my language study into perspective. At PII we were able to talk to program alums who had continued their study in Japanese, and one of the best pieces of advice they gave was, "Your reasons for studying will change along the way." I started taking Japanese because I thought it was interesting, now I find myself invested in Japanese culture to the point where I'm really considering pursuing a graduate program or career in Japan! If you have questions about PII - and how it was online - feel free to reach out to me!

你好！I’m Ross, a sophomore in Pierson. In Summer 2022, I studied at Middlebury Language Schools in Vermont. I am so thankful to have had this experience. If you have questions about learning Chinese outside of China or honestly anything else, reach out!