Having been raised in a Hispanic household in Manhattan, New York, I grew up speaking both Spanish and English. Up until recently, I’ve always felt as if Spanish and English encompassed two different worlds for me. Translation helps me discover new ways to link these two worlds, something that drives me to become a better translator. My multi-language story doesn’t end there, however; in middle school, I grew a passion for the Japanese language. In high school, I took Japanese up until AP my senior year. My fascination with Japanese inspired me to go to Japan twice. The first time I stayed with a host family and attended a high school for a month in Kanazawa. The second time I studied at Japanese and took culture and business classes in Japanese at Kanda University for an academic year. These experiences deepened my understanding of the culture and the language. I believe that emotional connection to a culture is the first step to being able to produce high-quality translations. This is why I am passionate about what I do and want to continue growing and building my skills as a translator.