Photo courtesy of Robert Chase
Name: Robert Chase
Major: Accounting
Expected to graduate: Spring 2026
Hometown: DeSoto, Kansas
What language did you receive a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship to study?
I received a FLAS fellowship for Japanese from the UW East Asia Center.
What cultivated your interest in this specific language and region?
I originally became interested in Japanese language and culture while stationed in Northern Japan with the U.S. Navy. When transitioning from the military to university, I knew that I wanted to incorporate Japanese into my studies. Furthermore, I felt that Japanese language abilities would better prepare me for a business career with our ever-more connected global economy.
How has FLAS supported your personal or professional goals?
After completing the core Japanese series at UW, I found that I still wanted to focus on improving and getting closer to native proficiency in Japanese. FLAS allowed me to study full-time for three months in Japan, an opportunity that greatly improved my Japanese and brought me closer to business-level proficiency, opening more doors and job opportunities than I would otherwise have without additional language abilities.
What was it like experiencing your fellowship experience abroad?
I felt the challenge and independence of the FLAS fellowship experience to be very rewarding. I used my FLAS to attend a language school where I studied Japanese intensively over the summer. The ability to focus solely on studying like a full-time job was what allowed me to push past a plateau and progress in Japanese. Furthermore, I made connections with students not just from Japan, but China, Korea, Malaysia, Australia, and more. Many of these connections are also business students with an interest in how their countries’ economies and Japan’s mesh together. The growth in my language abilities and opportunity to see more of a country that I love were nice, but the connections with like-minded individuals are the highlight of my experience.
What was your favorite memory or most meaningful moment?
Stopping by the izakaya around the corner from my dorm and catching up with the other neighborhood customers.
