Nobody can deny that WashU has a pretty high Asian concentration. What can I say, we may not be the strongest, but we sure are smart (Just kidding!). Although it may be a tad bit offensive, it’s no secret that many non-Asians think all Asians look alike. Crazy, I know. Does anybody have a hard time telling Tila Tequila and Sandra Oh apart? What about Mike Chang (hottie from Glee) and Daniel Kim (stud from Lost)? The answer, I hope, is a ubiquitous NO. To further my point, have you ever seen Rina Matsumoto? If you aren’t sure, then you have not—because, if you have, trust me, you would know. Rina Matsumoto is certainly a one-of-a-kind cutie patootie. So, naturally, I had to track this cutie down.
Hometown: Belle Mead, NJ
Major: Psychology and East Asian Studies
Involvement on campus: LNYF (please tell me you guys all saw her dancing in the Japan Dance!), Relay For Life, DUC Student Assistant
Family: One older sister who is 25.
Relationship Status: In a relationship with Connor Liu (Sorry, boys!).
How would you describe yourself?
R: I think I’m a lot of different things. I love meeting new people, that’s probably my favorite thing about college. I guess, in a sense, that makes me an outgoing person, but at the same time I’m known to be kind of quiet. I am pretty responsible and hard-working, but like everybody else I also procrastinate big time. I’m full of contradictions!
What’s your best quality?
R: I think I always strive to improve myself. I have a list of things I should do everyday to be a better me! I appreciate that quality about me—that I am my worst and best critic.
How do you like to spend your free time?
R: Watching Glee and How I Met Your Mother… And spending quality time with friends and the boyfriend! Oh! I also love trying new restaurants!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? (Married?)
R: I want to be a clinical psychologist. And be married? Maybe?
What’s your favorite country or maybe just a city?
R: Hmm… I haven’t been to too many places, but I really like Singapore. I went to there this past winter break and visited Connor. Singapore is so clean and modern and full of energy!
Where’s your favorite place to study?
R: First floor of Olin library with all the windows! I love the sunlight coming in and it’s perfect for people watching!
What’s the most important quality you look for in a person?
R: I really value trust. I believe that only when you trust someone you can truly open up and build a real relationship. So, I guess I look for trustworthiness.
If you don’t mind, tell me your love story with Connor.
R: Haha, well, we lived on the same freshman floor. We started off as friends, but I had a crush on him (I’d like to believe that he had a crush on me too). So our friendship naturally took a romantic turn? We started dating last April. It’s almost our anniversary!
What is something interesting people probably don’t know about you?
R: When I visited Costa Rica when I was 16, a random teenage boy mooned me. I was scarred for life. Oh, and I have 2 freckles above my mouth! They’re pretty symmetrical so they kind of look like tiny eyes. I can make anybody laugh by telling him/her to imagine a little face with my two freckles as eyes!
If you’re lucky enough, you may catch this cutie working in the DUC as a student assistant! Make sure you stop by and say hello- you know you want to!