What is the Executive Committee?
The Executive Committee (EC) is the collection of students responsible for planning and running each Japan-American Student Conference (JASC). The entire committee is composed of the American Executive Committee (AEC) and the Japanese Executive Committee (JEC). Members take on various roles, such as Roundtable Leader, Site Coordinator, and unique positions within their country’s committee. The members work together to establish unique theming and programming and strive to create an unforgettable experience for the next delegates. At the end of each conference, an election is held to establish the next conference’s Committee members.
Working as an EC is an invaluable experience. Each member develops their leadership skills and critical collaboration skills within the US and in international collaboration. The AECs work closely with our parent organization, International Student Conferences (ISC), receiving valuable advice in understanding the nuances when running a conference.
The 77th JASC Executive Committee
Sam Helman – Chair
Hello! My name is Sam Helman, and I am the chair of the American Executive Committee. I am from Columbia, South Carolina, and I am currently attending Wake Forest University studying political science and Japanese. On campus, I’m the community engagement chair of our Japanese studies club, a resident adviser, and I’m involved with the environmental sustainability department. In my free time, I enjoy exploring the North Carolina mountains, creating terrariums, and cooking with friends.
To me, JASC is beautiful because it feels like you are living a lifetime of new experiences and meeting wonderful people all within a single month. The conference taught me to consider more, to spend more time thinking about the perspectives of those around me, and realize them before I acted. Observing both Japanese and American delegates interact was valuable because, despite our differences, we worked together to create solutions, and found friendship along the way. In JASC 77, I aim to lead my fellow peers and new delegates to help facilitate an environment in which all delegates can flourish and grow.
Mao Kobayashi – Vice Chair
Hello! My name is Mao Kobayashi, and I’m the Vice Chair for the American Executive Committee. I was born in Japan but spent much of my adolescent years moving between Japan and Maryland. I am particularly interested in the fields of agriculture and international development. Outside of classrooms, I enjoy conducting research in my Plant Biology labs and our greenhouse, being outdoors, reading, and spending time with my friends.
Growing up in both countries, I had navigated the space between cultures, but it wasn’t until JASC that I truly experienced the intersection of these worlds. Surrounded by compassionate, insightful, and driven peers, I witnessed the profound impact of cross-cultural interactions, not only gaining a deeper understanding of the U.S.-Japan relations but also discovering new facets of each country and myself. I am excited to create an environment that nurtures friendships and fosters inspiring discussions together with our EC team and new delegates – transcending cultural differences to build a more connected and empathetic community.
Emile Shah – Secretary
Hello! My name is Emile Shah, and I’m the Secretary of the American Executive Committee. I’m from Riverside, California and major in Data Science and Political Science at UC Berkeley. I’ll be leading the Environmental Innovation and Entreprenurship Roundtable. At school, I’m involved in organizing our annual MUN conference, an editor for our newspaper and political review, and an executive member in a girls’ venture capital club. In my free time, I like to cook, play video games, and listen to music!
JASC76 was an amazing opportunity to meet and discuss with students from different backgrounds and perspectives. I made wonderful friends and learned more about my interests and future passions. I ran for JASC77 to work towards fostering an environment for delegates to learn about new perspectives and develop their passions, interests, and ideas. I hope to create a space for delegates to have insightful discussions, forge strong bonds, and broaden their perspective as a global citizen.
Andrew Lei – Treasurer
Andrew will serve as treasurer and run the “Food, Culture, and Society” roundtable. He was born in Canada and enjoyed growing up in Arkansas. During the pandemic, he took a leap of faith by deciding to study in Japan at Osaka University, where he has been absorbing the culture, acquiring the language, and writing his senior thesis on Japanese national security. He also likes jazz and plays tennis for fun.
JASC76 was a way for Andrew’s life experiences living in the US and Japan to come to a point. A proponent of inclusion, his JASC76 goal was to help bridge the cultural gaps between Japanese and American delegates. The meaning Andrew derived from his experience as a delegate serves as his motivation to serve in JASC 77, for which he hopes to create an environment where Japanese and American students can collaborate, bond, and solve the world’s hardest problems together.
Amy Wu – Co-Chair of Logistics
Hi there! This is Amy. I am responsible for logistics and planning, and will lead the “Means and Meanings of Communication” RT. I am currently a senior at Smith College, and my major is World Literatures (aka. Comparative Literature). I enjoy reading, interpreting, translating, and writing. Whenever possible, I wake up early in the morning and enjoy a jog outside. I also love exploring cute restaurants, cafes, and bookstores with friends in my free time. Photography also counts as one of my hobbies (I am usually too lazy to take out my camera from the bottom of my suitcase though).
In JASC76, as a delegate, I was able to gain many great memories, generate friendships, and achieve personal growth. Realizing JASC has been such a wonderful opportunity for me to connect to like-minded individuals coming from a different background, I want to pass on this legacy via my own hands, and make your experiences even better. Therefore, I hope you all enjoy JASC77 and will be able to build wonderful interpersonal relationships with fellow delegates, through engaging in deep, meaningful conversations while exploring Japan!
Hudson Pitchford – Co-Chair of Logistics
My name is Hudson Pitchford, and I’ll be working with Amy on conference logistics and leading the International Politics in the Indo-Pacific roundtable at JASC 77. I am a second year student at Washington and Lee University, majoring in Engineering with a possible minor in Japanese. I live in Chesterfield, Virginia (just south of Richmond), though I’m originally from Paducah, Kentucky. I love robotics, watching sports, and reading books and manga.
I joined the JASC 77 Executive Committee because I feel a responsibility to provide the same valuable experience I had during JASC 76. I learned how to create productive discussions on controversial topics, incorporating and understanding opposing ideas and world views. More importantly, my time at JASC taught me about pragmatic, interpersonal, cross-cultural conflict resolution, and openly accepting constructive criticism. On top of these personal lessons, I was also driven to take a more active role in keeping up with and caring about current events and the world around me, a desire I had lost for some time. JASC is, first and foremost, a gathering of people, and the interactions we have, the relationships we create, and the bonds we build are what make it truly transformative.
Rachel Collins – Co-Chair of Recruitment, Publicity and Technology
Hello! My name is Rachel Collins, and I’m the co-chair of recruitment, publicity, and technology. I’m from Purcellville, Virginia, and I am majoring in Japanese and Geoscience at Washington and Lee University. Outside of class, I can be found in University Theater, working in my university’s Costume Shop, working in environmental sustainability clubs, helping my sorority, walking in nature, or hanging with any animals I can. Additionally, I love music and crafts like knitting and crocheting.
I found JASC 76 to be an incredibly impactful experience for myself. I grew immensely as a community member, a leader, and a unique person. My goal for JASC 77 is to create an environment that cultivates these opportunities for the delegates and allows them to both enjoy the perks of bilateral communication, while also growing from the difficulties. Each individual should express their opinions freely and openly while also taking the time to understand perspectives that are not their own, regardless of agreeance.
Brandon Rivera De Leon – Co-Chair of Recruitment, Publicity, and Technology
Hey y’all, I’m Brandon Rivera De Leon, and I will be serving as the co-chair of recruitment, publicity, and technology. I was born in Sun Valley, California but mostly grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I am currently a Consumer Behavior Marketplace Studies Major with the ambition to get my Master’s in Marketing and a certificate in International Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Aside from school work a big passion of mine is Music, I am an associate director of promotion for WUD Music which is one of the organizations I am involved with. You will catch me participating in hosting and attending concerts here in Madison, WI, playing guitar, listening to music, going on bike rides, and playing video games.
During my time at JASC76, I found it to be a very great educational and thought-provoking experience. I enjoyed conversing with fellow delegates and bonding over the trips we had over the conference. My main takeaway was the relationships formed during the conference, I met many amazing people and found their discussions to be very impactful as well. My goal for JASC77 is to create an experience that fosters bonding and conversations. I want the conference to have delegates be able to converse about difficult topics comfortably and also be able to leave the conference with great memories and new long-lasting friendships.