
Graduating Asian Studies majors and minors, spring 2021 (clockwise from top left: A.J. Coop, Travis Felty, Tae’Jah Jones, Madeline Kujabi, Nhan Phan, Anderson Stettner, Michelle Atkinson)
This spring has brought the return of lush flowers and green grass to our campus, but also the repetition of some pandemic-era peculiarities. While some of our graduating seniors are on campus, others are not. Due to continuing restrictions on campus activities in response to COVID-19 concerns, for the second year in a row Berea College will not stage in-person Commencement exercises. Instead, the Department of Asian Studies would like to take this opportunity to celebrate our spring 2021 graduating majors and minors and their achievements:
Michelle Atkinson ’21 (major in Communication, minor in Asian Studies) is a member of Omicron Sigma, the honor society for outstanding achievement in Communication, and recently qualified for initiation as a member of Epsilon Alpha Sigma (EAΣ), the honor society for academic achievement in East Asian Studies. She has accepted an internship in marketing and sales based in New York City for summer 2021.
A.J. Coop ’21 (double major in Asian Studies and Political Science) recently qualified for initiation as a member of EAΣ. His Berea experience included a period of study in China. After graduation, he plans to relocate to Brooklyn, New York to gain work experience over a gap year prior to beginning graduate work in the study of Sino-American relations.
Travis Felty ’21 (major in Asian Studies) plans to teach English online after graduation. During his time as a Berea student, he interned at Asia Institute (“Crane House”) in Louisville, Kentucky.
Tae’Jah Jones ’21 (double major in Asian Studies and Psychology) is a member of Psi Chi, an honor society that recognizes excellence in Psychology, and recently qualified for initiation as a member of EAΣ. As a Berea student, she studied in China. Before undertaking graduate studies, she plans to take a gap year to gain more experience in the fields of psychology and nutrition.
Madeline Kujabi ’21 (minors in Dance and Women’s & Gender Studies) has accepted a post-graduate position with BereaCorps as an Annual Giving Associate. She is a member of the Mortar Board honor society and recently qualified for initiation as a member of EAΣ. Madeline plans to pursue her dual M.A. in Diplomacy/International Relations and Asian Studies at Seton Hall University in 2022-23.
Nhan Phan ’21 (major in Studio Art, minors in Asian Studies and Art History) recently exhibited her senior show, “A Stitch in Time: Preserving Vietnamese Intangible Heritages through Traditional Hand Embroidery,” which may be viewed online here. As a Berea student, she received several honors and awards, including the Mary McAuley Memorial Scholarship, the Francis S. Hutchins Creative Art Award, and the Surface Design Association Outstanding Student Award, and was a finalist for a Windgate-Lamar Fellowship to study lotus silk weaving and traditional hand embroidery in Vietnam. Currently, she is searching for post-Berea employment opportunities.
Anderson Stettner ’21 (double major in Asian Studies and Computer & Information Science) hopes to find employment in the computer science industry after graduation. He also plans to continue his Japanese language studies and add Korean to his list of language assets, preferably through extended travel in East Asia.
The Department of Asian Studies congratulates these graduates and wishes them all the best in the Year of the Metal Ox and beyond!