2023
Katherine Grace, Collegiate, 2023, recently wrapped up her freshman year at Texas Christian University. She was provided the opportunity to travel abroad to Tokyo, Japan, where she took an Honors College course called ‘Video Games and Culture.’ This unique course took her on a journey through various districts of Tokyo and even to Kyoto, exploring the impact of video games on Japanese culture – a topic with far more influence in Japan than in the United States.
The hands-on learning experience included interactions with students at the world’s top video game high school and creating her own video game, which she presented as her final project. Beyond video games, Katherine participated in calligraphy sessions, observed a sacred Japanese tea ceremony, and visited over fifteen temples and places of worship, making ethnographic observations along the way.
Reflecting on her experience, Katherine shared, “The O’Shaughnessy Foundation granted me a transformative opportunity. It was an incredible experience that broadened my perspective on the world around me. From making ethnographic observations to analyzing the influence of video games on Japanese culture, I stamped my passport in a new and unique way. It was an action-packed trip that stimulated my intellectual curiosity and fostered an intense desire to be a lifelong learner. I am profoundly grateful to the O’Shaughnessy Foundation for making this trip possible.”