My name is Lyla, I’m a senior at Wesleyan University majoring in East Asian Studies and minoring Global Engagement Minor. As a Third Culture Kid whose parents are from New York and Karachi respectively but grew up around an international community in Bangkok, Thailand, I’m fascinated by issues of cultural identity and am aiming to further my understanding of history, global issues, and grow my cross-cultural competence and awareness. I’m currently studying the Japanese language and have studied abroad through the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies in Kyoto and the Critical Language Scholarship Okayama respectively. Come July I will be working as a Youth Ambassador at the 2025 Expo in Osaka representing the United States on a global stage. My interests are wide but i’m focused on citizen diplomacy, cultural arts, and translation pertaining specifically to the regions of East Asia.
