Hannah Williams
Hi! I am Hannah Williams, and I’ve had the privilege of being this summer’s US-Japan NEXT Alliance Initiative intern at Sasakawa USA. I am a rising senior at Wellesley College, majoring in International Relations with a focus in political science and a minor in Japanese. Initially pulled in by my mixed background, I’ve cultivated my interest in US-Japan relations as a current Japanese American Storytelling Program intern, as a former Japan Society of Boston intern and as a study abroad student at International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan.
Each project here has allowed me to train my own critical thinking skills, nuanced writing techniques and, most importantly, mindset to grow from mistakes for the path forward. I am especially proud of my contributions to the cyber mapping project of designing and launching the newly debuted Japan and “2.0” US cybersecurity maps to foster the cutting-edge mutual understanding of cybersecurity landscapes. Additionally, I am proud of the “Rhythm and Poetry: J-Rap as an Emerging Soft Power” event inspired by my interest in the blended world of J-rap. As featured speaker, I researched and discussed the positive impact of propagating cultural influence through Japanese rap culture. Thank you to Director of Programs Shanti Shoji for her supervision and moderation, as well as to Kenji and John for their support!
I deeply valued my time at NEXT and am incredibly thankful for the warm welcome, mentorship and support from NEXT Senior Director Jim Schoff, Dustin and (formerly) Erim, as well as the larger and equally amazing Sasakawa USA team, including past NEXT interns Matthew and Hanah. Looking to life after Wellesley, NEXT has inspired me to leap into US-Japan security governance and cultural programming career fields! 大変お世話になりました – Thank you and I hope to see you all again!
