Job Description:
Objective 1: The Kizuna Summer Camp Yearbook consists of photos from each Summer Camp location, and they are sold to families as a keepsake for their summer memories.
Objective 2: “A Day in the Life of an NCI Intern” is a digital project that will compile footage, testimonials, and overall experiences of the LA NCI cohort. This will help to promote NCI in future years so applicants will have a first person POV of the types of projects they may be completing. This can be executed through photos, videos, blog posts, etc.
Objective 3: Based on our most recent demo questions for campers, counselors and jr counselors, compile and present data for accessible use by staff, board and impact reports to give a current snapshot of our Summer Camp audience.
Objective 4: Assist with administrative tasks at Summer Camp, such as camper check-in/out, supervising during field trips, etc.
*Disclaimer - 2024 descriptions (subject to change)*
Project:
I developed targeted marketing strategies to enhance the visibility of the Nikkei Community Internship (NCI), focusing on engaging and attracting a wider audience. In addition, I played a key role in improving the website, making it more informative and user-friendly. This involved creating new pages and redesigning the site’s structure and functionality specifically for NCI. Along the way, I also refined my skills in photo editing and content creation, ensuring that the website’s visuals and content were polished and compelling.
Memories:
During my time with NCI, I had the honor of engaging with influential JA community leaders, deepening my appreciation for our history and the work needed to keep our culture alive. The strong, supportive LA cohort made every Friday workshop a joy, and I found friendships that will last a lifetime.
Marisa Kawakami
College: UC San Diego
Major: Cognitive Science with a Specialization in Design & Interaction
Minor: Dance & Computer Science
“The opportunity to have meaningful conversations with Kizuna’s staff, which often ended in fits of laughter, will forever be cherished memories. I see them not only as role models who inspire me to give back to the community, but also as one of the most supportive teams I’ve ever been a part of.”
Project:
Kizuna’s Summer Camp Data Visualization and Analysis
Day-to-Day Tasks:
Clean data in Google Sheets, Analyze, Model, Visualize, then prepare a report to be presented to the board.
Favorite Memories:
The opening retreat was super fun! We met everyone for the first time, hung out, grabbed food and everyone was super cool to be around. I also really liked it when some of the interns went to Japanese Heritage night and we watched a walk-off win and a Shohei Ohtani home run!
“Through this experience and workshops, I gradually understood what it meant to be Japanese-American. I’ve built a reliable professional and personal network that I can depend on long beyond this internship and while the career development was excellent, these experiences became far more important to me.”
Joshua Yamane
College: UCLA
Major: Economics
Minor: Stats and Data Science
