Undergraduate Alumni Stories
We would be delighted to include more profiles of our alumni, whether recent or longer ago, on this page. Please submit your profile from the form.
Yuka Amy Vogenthaler-Sato, Japanese Major 2021
My name is Yuka and I'm a mixed Japanese-American now living in Tokyo. I moved to Japan after graduating CU in 2021 to pursue teaching English through the JET Program. I spent my time on JET teaching high school as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) with a sister school that had an exchange program with the Boulder Valley School District. I completed five years of JET as an ALT and I am now an English language arts teacher at an international school. Doing the TESOL program and studying Japanese at CU opened the door for me to get accepted into the JET Program and the education I had well prepared me for paving a path I always dreamed of. Life can take you unexpected places but I've learned that what you're seeking is also seeking you and will find its way to you as long as you keep chasing your aspirations.
Henry Moore, Chinese Minor 2020
Henry Moore graduated in 2020 with a BS in Aerospace Engineering and a Chinese minor, and in 2021 with a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering (focusing on autonomous systems). He currently lives in Boulder and works at PickNik Robotics. In his free time, he enjoys playing ice hockey, chess, and the Irish sport of hurling. Henry enjoys science fiction books, and particularly enjoys the works of Cixin Liu. Henry took Advanced Readings in Modern Chinese in 2018, which helped him to broaden his literary horizons.
Yanhao Jiang, Japanese Major 2020
I was double major in Biochemistry and Japanese when I was in undergrad. I was graduating with Japanese National Honor Society, and I got my N2-Japanese certificate during the senior year. After graduation, I went to the pharmacy school in CU Anschutz and finished my master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Now, I’m going to pursue my Ph. D in Pharmaceutics.
Nelson Walker, Japanese Minor 2022
Nelson Walker graduated in Spring 2022 with a Bachelor of Music in Composition with a Japanese minor. He was also one of the recipients of Japanese National Honor Society. He is pursuing a masters degree in music composition at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He actively texts and has weekly Zoom chats with friends in Japanese to keep up with his Japanese learning.
Clayton Konikson, Japanese Major 2019
Clayton Konikson graduated in 2019 with a Japanese major, International Affairs additional major, and Asian Studies additional major. He was also one of the recipients of Japanese National Honor Society. He is currently in US Army active duty. He speaks in Japanese with the Japanese Self Defense Force and works on further relations between the US and Japan.
Holden Lee, Chinese Major 2016
After graduating, I worked in Boulder and at the university as a Spanish tutor, interpreter, and translator. After about a year of working, I moved to Taiwan where I improved my Mandarin, learned how to play the 二胡 took the LSAT, and taught ESL at two public schools. I moved back to attend law school at DU in 2019, but when COVID hit, I transitioned to a Master's program at UCCS and concurrently taught Chinese at DCCHS. I am now back part-time at DU Law finishing my degree and have absolutely loved sharing my passion for language and culture with my students in my hometown.