Melissa Miura ’19 (who won first place in the advanced division of the Japanese language essay contest in 2016) was chosen to participate in the Kakehashi Project, coordinated by the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), and supported by funding from the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Melissa traveled to Japan with other students from around the US as part of a Japanese educational exchange program. They met with government officials, stayed with a host family, and visited Tokyo and Ehime, Japan.