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Student Spotlight: Yuuka Taniguchi ’22, agri-business and international business major7 min read

September 11, 2020

Tell us a little about your life before you came to Dickinson State University (DSU).

I grew up in the small town of Shimizu, which is in the middle of Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands. I grew up on a dairy farm run by my family and lived with my parents, grandparents and my three older sisters, so I loved having animals around me. I “helped” my parents since I was a little child. I started dreaming about visiting the United States since I was in elementary school and came to the U.S. for the first time when I was in the eighth grade. I came with my sister city exchange program for a short-term homestay program. Since then, I really started getting interested in learning English and interacting with people from different places. I went to high school about three hours away from my family, and they have an English department so I could learn it more. During my junior year, I came to Dickinson for a one-year exchange program and went to New England Public School about 30 miles south of Dickinson.

I love dairy cows, of course! No offense to beef cattle, but as a cow breed, Holstein has been my favorite because I grew up with them. I like animals in general, and I have a house cat named Finn in my house here! I enjoy doing mostly anything and everything. If people ask me to try something, I usually give it a try. During summer, I like going to the lake and hanging out with friends, walking around in the beautiful weather or checking on my garden. During North Dakota winters, most of the time I prefer to stay inside, drawing pictures or doing something crafty, for sure. Here, it gets so COLD!

Agreed! So, besides our amazing winters, what made you choose Dickinson and DSU?

I decided I wanted to double-major and started looking for colleges outside of Japan. But, there are three main reasons I chose DSU. The first one is because I knew the area and people a bit more through my high school exchange program and it was comfortable for me to come back to my host parents’ (Eric and Naomi Wood) place. The second reason is because the tuition rate for international students is relatively low compared to other universities that offer both of my degrees in the States. The last, but the most important, one is because DSU offers really good agriculture programs with wonderful faculty and staff! When I visited with Dr. Chip Poland before I ever applied to DSU, I desired to come here to Dickinson State.

What are you studying and when do you plan on graduating?

I am double majoring in agri-business and international business. Outside of these programs, I would like to learn more on soils and natural resources studies, so my graduation year will be 2022, but I might take another semester or year by adding one more degree.

Are you a part of any clubs on campus?

Yes! I like keeping myself busy and involved with many fun things, so I’m in some of the groups on campus. I’m part of Agriculture Club, Collegiate Farm Bureau, Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) and International Club. I really like all of the clubs I’m in, because each have their own good thing about it. My favorite events that I get to do while in those clubs are Kids Day on the Farm through Ag Club, Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference through Farm Bureau, and Taste of Nations through International Club. I didn’t experience much with PBL since I joined only last year, but I enjoyed all the fundraisers and state competitions online. I hope we get to do all fun events normally again soon!

We heard that you’re working in Medora this summer. Can you tell us what you do there and what you’re learning from it?

Absolutely! I am working at Bully Pulpit Golf Course full-time in Medora as my internship, and during my free time in the evenings, I also work at Theodore’s as a busser. At the golf course, I do grounds keeping such as mowing, trimming, rolling, digging, filling and lots of other things. Before I came to work in Medora, I did not even care for golf nor have any knowledge about golf. So, when I first started working here, it was a lot of learning: terms about golf courses, how to treat turf, and remembering all the 18 holes we have at Bully Pulpit. A couple interesting things I have learned are how to put drainage into the grounds, how to replace sprinkler parts, how to operate multiple different types of mowers, and the fact that our golf course uses two different types of lawn and four different heights of cuts.

Are you enjoying Medora? What do you like to do when you have free time?

For sure! I’m enjoying Medora so much. As I said earlier, I work Tuesday through Friday morning and evening with both jobs, and Saturday, I work half days at the golf course, so I do not really have free time during the week. However, when I’m at the golf course, I get to see beautiful views of the Badlands and lots of wildlife, so I got very lucky! In my free time, I catch up with my chores and come back home to spend time with my kitty, so I’m not in Medora much, but I would love to go on the trails and horseback riding in Medora soon! And I am so excited to try golf for the first time! Those of us who work at the golf course get to play golf for free, so I’ll think about that next summer. It would be pretty nice!

What are your plans after you graduate?

I do not have a clear plan of what I want to do after school, but I am hoping to do something to help businesses between Japan and the United States, especially between North Dakota and Hokkaido. If you have any recommendations for places to do another internship before I graduate, let me know!

What would you tell someone who’s thinking about becoming a Blue Hawk like yourself?

I know there are lots of different universities and many choices out there. I know that people have different preferences and needs, so it may not be good for some people. However, I can say one thing. This University worked so well for me and is a good University. It is the University where you can find what you want to do even if you are still finding out what that is, because there are lots of opportunities and resources available. And, this is the University that gives you a boost to achieve your goals, because professors and staff are very cooperative and encourage students to move forward and do well. If you are thinking about DSU, come and tour to see what the campus looks like, what it feels like as a whole… If you cannot physically come on campus for various reasons, reach out to Admissions, Blue Hawks you know, me or anyone, so you get the hang of what it is to be a Blue Hawk!

Lightning round: tell us three fun facts about you. GO!

I am terrified of spiders, even though they’re a predator for many bugs!

I have been to 10 countries, including the United States and Japan.

I had my toe stepped on by a Sumo wrestler once when I was kid and it did not break!

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