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People Profiles
Yuki Nakajima
- Hometown: Saitama, Japan
- Major: Environmental Journalism
- Previous College: Green River Community College
Why Western?
Western offers the only Environmental Journalism program in Washington.
Friendly Environment
Western is a bigger facility than the community college I attended so I thought it would be hard to communicate with friends and teachers. But I was wrong. Western students are very friendly, and I have already made lots of friends. Teachers are kind and helpful. They are willing to help students all the time so I always go to their office and ask them questions.
Accomplished Mentor
My advisor, Bill Dietrich is one of the professors that have been influential to me. He is a winner of the Pulitzer Prizes and works at Seattle Times. I met him last year, and he has really taught me how to write high-quality articles. At first, writing articles was stressful, but he taught me to enjoy writing them. Though it is tough to write a story, I now enjoy the process.
Award-Winning Magazine
Working for the school's environmental magazine, The Planet, is a significant experience for me. I was a reporter for two quarters and I became assistant editor this quarter. Both reporting and editing for The Planet are great experiences for me to improve communication skills and journalism skills.
Life in Bellingham
I like the atmosphere of Bellingham. It's not a big city like Seattle, but it's not too small either. It is a great place to live and study. I like going to parks in Bellingham. There are nice parks, and they are close to the campus.
After Western
I'm planning to get job in the United States, or go to school to study translation. If I have a chance, I want to learn one more language, especially French. But before doing any of these, I want to travel!