Profile: Teppei Hayashi

"I chose GSE because of the Intercultural Communication program," says Teppei Hayashi.

Teppei was looking for a program that would prepare him for a career in intercultural consulting and training — and Penn GSE fit the bill.

The flexibility of GSE's program was a particular draw for Teppei: "The program has core courses that provide a fundamental knowledge of the field. At the same time, it allows you to take classes in different schools and different departments so you can customize the program to your interests.

"I wanted to go into intercultural consulting and training," he continues, "so I wanted to have some theory, some practical knowledge, and also an internship program as a part of the Master's program."

That internship — with Global Arena, a language service firm in Philadelphia — was the perfect preparation for the job he landed on graduating. Today, as a coordinator in Oregon State's global internship program, Teppei helps undergraduates navigate a program that allows them to earn academic credit as part of their international internship.

Coursework covered theory and practice — in classes like Educational Linguistics and Organizational Dynamics. Teppei, who majored in Spanish and French as an undergraduate, was particularly taken with his Language and Gender class: "We analyzed language use — how it's embedded in society, how you can make a difference by paying attention to your language use and or sometimes not paying attention to it. It was fascinating."

Although not an international student himself — he was born in the U.S., grew up in Tokyo, and returned to this country for high school and college — Teppei served as president of the Japanese Student Association.

Designed to help Japanese students negotiate GSE, explore career options, and meet fellow students, the group sponsors social activities and academic programs — everything from a welcome dinner for incoming students, to programs on professional opportunities, to research presentations, like one Dr. Butler gave during Teppei 's tenure at GSE.

"And we welcomed in anybody who would like to join our activities," Teppei explains. "We had other, non-Japanese students — people who had lived in Japan or who worked in Japan, who speak Japanese."

It's that kind of conviviality that characterizes Teppei's overall GSE experience: "Just getting to know my classmates and the ICC cohort was the best part of my experience here. Everybody had a different background: some of my friends spent a couple years in the Peace Corps, some had taught, some had worked in private corporations or international organizations. And then somehow we all ended up in the same place, sharing the same academic and professional interests."