Zachary Mayer-Bickel OC ‘21

 

J. F. Oberlin, Japan (2022-24)

Zachary Mayer-Bickel ‘21 earned degrees in East Asian Studies and History. At Oberlin his course work focused on international relations between Japan and the US from both historic and contemporary perspectives. Zack has studied Japanese since middle school and in 2015, he lived with a family in Tokyo for five weeks and attended Japanese high school. In 2020, Zack studied Japanese Language, translation, and economics with the Associated Kyoto Program in Kyoto Japan. Zack is excited to bring his commitment to education and international peace to J.F. Oberlin or Shansi in Hiroshima. Since graduation, Zack has embarked on a number of projects including writing a novel, studying guitar, and teaming with other Oberlin students to design a tabletop roleplaying game. He also volunteers at the Museum of Boulder, CO where helps with day to day operations as well as special events to provide relief for victims of the 2021 Marshall fire. In his free time Zack enjoys skiing, hiking, making music, and playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends. 

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The Power of Friendship
The Power of Friendship

By Zachary Mayer-Bickel ‘21, JFOU Fellow

It turns out having friends is important. This is not a shocking revelation to most people. It's the sort of saccharine sentiment found in books, television shows and movies aimed at elementary schoolers. But it's such a prevalent message because it holds true. For me, friendship and connection to other people has been the prevailing theme that all the best parts of my fellowship