Name: Marc Goldberg
Year: Junior
Major: Japanese
Hometown: Farmington Hills, Michigan
What inspired you to become a Japanese major? I had to take a language class in high school, ended up really enjoying the language and wanted to study it after high school.
Tell us about your upcoming study abroad trip? I’ll be studying Japanese in Michigan’s sister state/prefecture of Shiga. The program is 15 weeks of language immersion.
What are your ideal career plans post-graduation? My minor is teaching English as a second language. I hope to teach English in the Japanese public school systems after graduation for a year or two, then either use that as a springboard to continue to teach English overseas, or come back to the states to teach ESL to immigrants looking to improve their English.
What else are you involved in on campus? I am a peer educator for the Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Prevention Program and a facilitator for the MSU Self-Defense Program. I’m the VP of judo club, in addition to being an active member of Slam Poetry Team, MMA club and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
How do you balance school, extracurriculars and a personal life? Do you have any advice on time management? This is something I’m still working on, as I was so NOT like this in high school. I only dove into juggling jobs and extracurriculars in the second half of sophomore year. I don’t know if I’m qualified to offer advice, but the habits I’ve gotten into include not getting into Netflix binges, not letting anything escape getting put into my calendar and taking time for myself to just breathe.
Without using school, extracurriculars or accomplishments, how would you describe yourself to others? Bookish Jewish kid working on realizing delusions of grandeur that include getting enough sleep and creating a more just society.
If you weren’t a Japanese major, which major might you be and why? I might be an English education major – I always had really good English teachers in high school who supported me throughout my education.
What keeps you motivated? What inspires you? The groups I’m in and the jobs I work are extremely gratifying. I remind myself how lucky I am to be studying what I love, and I don’t forget that there are millions of people who would kill for the opportunities that I have.
Who (or what) is your spirit animal? A startled raccoon you just found in your apartment building’s dumpster.
Career plans aside, what is your ultimate life goal? Leave the world better than I found it, which for our generation, will be no small feat.