Sara Chang OC ‘19

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J.F. Oberlin University, Japan (2019-21)

Sara Chang is one of two 2019-2021 Fellows for J.F. Oberlin University in Machida, Japan. She graduated from Oberlin in 2019 with a neuroscience major on the pre-med track. She was a four-year member and three-year captain of the women’s volleyball team. Apart from athletics, Sara assisted in neuroscience research and interned with the American Red Cross. While she has no experience with Japan, Sara studied Mandarin for 9 years and spent the spring of 2018 in Kunming, China where she achieved the advanced status per ECTFL criteria. In Japan, Sara hopes to become involved in taiko drumming, explore Japanese cuisine, and learn about Kampo medicine.

Featured
We plan; [Life] laughs
We plan; [Life] laughs

by Sara Chang ‘19, JFOU Fellow

A year ago, I was finalizing my itinerary for my Big Southeast Asia Adventure. I was going to travel around Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore; family and friends were lined up to accompany me for different legs of the trip. All the hostels were booked, the flights were purchased, and the virus was a distant threat. I planned; Life laughed.

If I'm Not Changing, I'm Decaying
If I'm Not Changing, I'm Decaying

by Sara Chang ‘19, JFOU Fellow

Every big transition in my life was precursed by adults and friends alike trying to warn me that yes, it’s going to be hard, but it will be more than worth the trouble. So of course, when I got accepted to be a Shansi Fellow, these reassurances came flooding in along with all kinds of praise for the once in a lifetime opportunity I was about to embark on.