Lowe 'Blossoms' as Goodwill Ambassador

Each spring, three lucky students from across the nation who have an interest in the Japanese language and culture are invited to Washington, D.C., to participate in the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This year College senior Sabrina Lowe attended the festival, which lasted from March 30 to April 13. Lowe, a Hawaii native who is majoring in Japanese and English, was chosen as one of two Goodwill Ambassadors after going through a rigorous application process. A program for the Cherry Blossom Festival discusses the selection criteria for the Goodwill Ambassadors. "She is chosen by a rigorous process from among American students of Japanese language and or culture at one of some 300 educational institutions throughout the country," the program states. Summarizing her application experience, Lowe said, "I had to write an essay discussing how I became interested in the Japanese language, and how it will be an integral part of my future career." After writing the essay, Lowe was one of 10 people selected for a telephone interview. "Part of the interview was spoken entirely in Japanese," Lowe recalled. "That was a little bit scary." Lowe received word of her honor the day before classes ended for spring break. Japanese Professor Hiroko Kimura-Sherry encouraged Lowe to enter the competition. Kimura-Sherry -- who was Lowe's professor during the fall semester -- knew of Lowe's strong interests in Japanese. Kimura-Sherry also encouraged 1996 College graduate Jessica Stoner to apply last year. Stoner was the queen of the 1996 Festival, the highest honor given. Lowe has been taking Japanese classes at the University for nearly three semesters. While studying in London last year, she also took a Japanese class at the School of Oriental and Japanese Studies. She noted that she will continue her Japanese studies, since she would like to become fluent in the language. She plans on going to Japan this year to participate in the Japanese English Teaching Program. The highlight of the National Cherry Blossom Festival is the tree planting ceremony -- which First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, this year's honorary chairperson, attended. "This time of year when the earth is blossoming with the promise of spring presents a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the beauty and history of our nation's capital," said Clinton in a letter to the the participants. In addition to Clinton, numerous Japanese citizens were on hand to bring their culture to the U.S. "It was very rewarding to spend a week with these guests," Lowe said. "This presented a really good opportunity to use the Japanese language and exchange culture." Lowe added that she was honored to be chosen as an ambassador, which she said recognizes her interest in pursuing Japanese culture. "Having an opportunity to meet so many people who are interested in Japanese-U.S. relations and making friends with the visitors from Japan was a tremendous experience," she noted.