Name: Soren Dickson 
Degree: International affairs 
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas 

Why I chose Temple: “I chose Temple University Japan (TUJ) because I wanted the chance to pursue an American education while in Japan. Graduating high school during Covid after being homeschooled in Texas my entire life, I wanted to find a challenge and adventure. I realized I knew very little about Asia and that bothered me, so I decided the best way to remedy that was by going there. Throughout this journey there have been twists and turns, but TUJ has been the perfect proving grounds for building my understanding of Japan while giving me a community I could flourish in. Now as I wrap up my degree, I am off to the next adventure in South Korea, but I must say that the decision to take a risk and come to TUJ proved positively life-changing and has shaped me into the person I am today.” 

Transformative Temple moment: “The most transformative moment at TUJ came when I was elected student president in 2023. I had not thought about leadership or public service much before running, but upon election I received a tremendous amount of support and confidence that I could lead others and represent something bigger than myself. When I finished my term, I was invited to serve as the inaugural Undergraduate Fellow at the new Kyoto campus in order to continue representing students and infuse the spirit of TUJ into the new campus.” 

Star professor: “From day one, Dean Matthew Wilson has been mentoring me on service-based leadership. He has always been approachable and eager to hear my ideas, offer advice on life and careers, and guide me through my academic journey. He has been exceptionally kind and supportive throughout my TUJ journey. Through going on school trips across Japan, inviting me to share meals with him and his family, and playing baseball outside of school, he has become someone I truly look up to and trust.  

“I had the chance to take an intensive negotiations course with him in which he coached me through the most effective way to achieve win-win negotiations. He also helped me in my time as student president, where I even got the chance to put what I learned from him directly into practice! This fantastic experience is by no means limited to me as I know many students who have a similar experience, benefiting richly from his openness and student first approach. But looking back on everything TUJ is and all I was able to accomplish while I was there, I do not believe any of it would have been possible without Dean Wilson.” 

What’s next: “After graduating I will head to South Korea to continue my studies at Yonsei University. I have been selected for the U.S.-Japan-ROK Young Trilateral Leaders Summit, and I am passionate about furthering ties between the U.S., Japan and South Korea and intend to open the next chapter gaining a deeper understanding of South Korea and their language, culture and politics. Serving as the inaugural Undergraduate Fellow at the new Kyoto campus inspired me to pursue international education and public service in my career and continue to give back to the community which has built me up.”