I'd rather be...
by Stephanie L. Graham

Beyond Anime
When a friend introduced her to anime (Japanese cartoons), Holly Johnsen ’07 of Fresno, Calif., became intrigued with the country of Japan. Learning Japanese appealed to her, especially because it “sounded really pretty.”

“I wanted to go to Japan, because I enjoy the Japanese aesthetic,” said Johnsen, who learned to speak German in middle school and traveled to Münster, Germany for an exchange program during high school. “I really wanted to see the architecture, wander through parks and gardens, and eat a lot of delicious food.”

With this goal in mind, she chose HMC to study mathematical biology with an eye on Pomona College for its Japanese program. Beginning in her third semester, she began attending “intense” classes in Japanese.

Johnsen studied with the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES)–Tokyo in spring 2006, and found she knew just enough Japanese to get by. “I had a lot to learn,” she said. Her host family spoke only Japanese to her (even though the mother was an English teacher), and she took cultural studies classes to learn about Japanese schooling, urban society and social organization on top of her Japanese language courses.

“I became very intrigued by the complexities of the society,” she said. “Japan really is in a state of flux. The country is learning to adjust its traditional values and way of life to maintain its status as a major participant in the global economy.”

During her semester in Japan, Johnsen improved her Japanese, made many friends and gained confidence and independence.

Back at HMC, she excelled in her other interest, biology. She graduated with high distinction and departmental honors in biology, was named Biology Writing Fellow and received the department’s Outstanding Senior Thesis Prize. She also received honors in humanities and social sciences, was awarded the Coleman Prize in Mathematics and was inducted into The Claremont Colleges chapter of Sigma Xi.

“At Mudd I’ve been able to grow beyond someone with just an interest in anime,” she said, adding that her experiences in Japan helped her become a more open-minded and understanding person.

Instead of graduate school next year, Johnsen opted to teach with the Japan Exchange and Teaching program, which places foreigners in Japanese schools to teach their native languages. She will teach for about one year at a school in Shizuoka near Mt. Fuji before returning to the U.S. to become a college biology professor.

On Track
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, just be sure to learn from them.

This advice comes from Kapambwe (Kapy) Kangombe, who has spent his time at HMC developing leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

Kangombe grew up in Zambia and came to South Bend, Ind., at age 15 with his mother and brother. He attended high school there, then went to Lake Forest College in Illinois for one year before transferring to HMC. During his time here, Kangombe, a computer science major, said he has learned initiative, patience and flexibility through his leadership roles in various clubs and organizations, including the National Society of Black Engineers. During his senior year, Kangombe collaborated with teammates on the Computer Science Clinic project “Storage Node Simulation for a Supercomputer” for Sandia National Laboratories, worked as a software engineer for InstaMed Communications in Newport Beach, and created a new business venture with a friend from Pitzer College (PZ).

The start-up, called MemoryTrak.com, came about when Kangombe met Tyler John (PZ ’07) during the class Enterprise and Entrepreneurs taught by Gary Evans, Ruth and Harvey Berry Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“MemoryTrak.com is a website that allows users to create and share memories with their friends and family,” said Kangombe, who began pursuing the idea with John in November 2006. They launched the site in May. “The basic idea is to build an everlasting historical record of our lives by recording personal memories and sharing them with friends and family online.”

Kangombe does not plan to stop with MemoryTrak.com. He has other business ideas he is also pursuing. He is used to being asked how he is able to do it all. “Basically, I make time,” he said.

New Heights
Since the age of 9, Mark Emanuel of Walnut Creek, Calif., has enjoyed diving. He took lessons and then joined a U.S. Diving club team, winning awards and honors along the way. Among his high school accomplishments, Emanuel was a four-year letterman, placed in the top three in League Championship competitions in consecutive years, went undefeated for the season in league competitions in 2002, was named to the All-League Swimming and Diving 1st Team, and was the College Park High School all-time record holder in diving. This he managed along with a stellar academic record.

He continued his diving career at HMC, and with much success. He was the 2006 SCIAC Champion in one-meter diving and set the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) record, which he broke in 2007 with a score of 514.20. At this year’s NCAA Division III Championships he placed 11th on the one-meter and 7th on the 3-meter, earning him All-American and Academic All-American honors. He was named HMC Alumni Association Athlete of the Year both this year and last. Perhaps best of all, he notes, is that his sister, Monica Emanuel (CMC ’08), was also a member of the CMS team.

An engineering major, Emanuel found his senior year to be one of the toughest, what with practice and competitions along with coursework, a lot of which he finished early, he said, to make time for diving practice. Emanuel also worked on an Engineering Clinic project for Northrop Grumman that involved studying the solderability of lead-free components.

“It wasn’t a burden,” said Emanuel, who sees diving as a fun, social activity. “I think it’s been worth it. I’ve got great friends and great memories. In the long run, I’m glad I did it.”

With his undergrad years at an end, Emanuel is now pursuing his interest in economics and business. He has taken a job with Semler Brossy Consulting Group in West Los Angeles, one of the largest independent executive compensation consulting firms in the United States. He says diving will still be a part of his life, “not at the competitive level, but for fun.”

His diving career may actually come full circle, with Emanuel returning to his club team roots, but this time as a part-time coach.”