Name: Ami Kawaai
Hometown: Gunma, Japan
Year: Freshman
Major: Criminology
Her Campus (HC): What made you decide to come to FSU?
Ami Kawaai (AK): The reputation of the criminology program and the sports programs because I heard they were really good.
HC: How has it been adjusting to life so far away from home?
AK: Everyone has been very nice and welcoming so it hasn’t been that bad. I do miss my friends and the food back home. A lot of times I crave the food back home which makes me a little homesick.
HC: What activities are you involved in on campus?
AK: I did the service leadership seminar over the summer. We mostly learned about leadership and did some community service. We participated in many different activities like going to the Second Harvest Institution, where they collect food and donate them to kids and homeless who don’t have regular access to food. We helped putting meals together in bags. There were about 500-600 bags to make. We didn’t do much, but they said that we saved them hours of work so it felt good to help out. The people who are involved in leadership at FSU also made a presentation where they discussed what makes a good leader. I still talk to the people that were in my group so it was a nice way to meet new people and make connections.
HC: What’s your favorite thing about FSU?
AK: Probably the atmosphere as a whole, everyone is very chill and it’s fun to live on campus in the middle of everything.
HC: Where’s your favorite place to go to on campus?
AK: Landis Green. I go there with my friends a lot on nice days to just study, eat, or kill time.
HC: Do you travel a lot?
AK: I lived near Tokyo so I’ve been there a few times. I went shopping a lot. In Japan, we have Disneyland and Disneysea, which is more like an adult version of Disneyland that mimics Italy’s atmosphere. The only difference is that it’s right next to the ocean so it’s a bit more like a waterpark.
HC: If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you go?
AK: New York, definitely. I’m a huge Yankees fan so I’d love to go see a game.
HC: Do you have any other interests outside of school?
AK: When I’m a junior I’d like to do internships, out-of-state if I can, hopefully in law enforcement. I’d love to do something police-related and I know FSU has an internship program with NCIS [Naval Criminal Investigation Service], so that would be an awesome opportunity.
HC: What do you like to do in your spare time?
AK: Go out, and watch Netflix, obviously. My favorite show is Criminal Minds.