On her first day as a summer intern for the Conrad Environmental Research Area (CERA), Yurie Okumura `25 built a bridge with her fellow Grinnellians — literally.
“I remember going to buy supplies and wood for the bridge,” Okumura said. “That was a long day. But it was a moment of bonding.”
Okumura’s time at Grinnell has been full of bonding moments, mostly without the bug bites, hot weather and weed-pulling she experienced at CERA. Originally from Kyoto, Japan, Okumura has put her own spin on life as a Grinnellian, whether that is completing an anthropology major, biology major and neuroscience concentration, blending her Japanese culture from back home with American culture here, or singing karaoke in the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC) with her friends.
Reflecting on the past four years, it is the people that Okumura said she will miss most.
“I’ve figured out my responsibilities and definitely learned more about myself through people, through experiences, through interactions, through time,” Okumura said. “I don’t regret anything.”
Okumura said serving as vice president of the International Student Organization (ISO) was one of the most time-consuming, but rewarding, experiences she had at Grinnell.
“There have been some ups and downs … but we [the cabinet] went through them and I think we’ve learned a lot through that, not only about each other, but we learned how to manage an organization,” she said. “Working there and understanding how the system works was definitely something that I cannot forget.”
Okumura also served as co-president of the Japanese Cultural Association (JCA).
“It’s great to remind myself of what home was like, and relate to a lot of Japanese international students here as well,” Okumura said.
Every year, Okumura and the rest of the JCA have performed at the ISO cultural evening.
“It’s a fun time where everyone gets together and just dances,” Okumura said. “We actually prepare a lot for our performances. Those preparation times are very meaningful.”
Another way that Okumura has made Grinnell feel like home is spending time outside. “The campus itself, I love the greenery, although it is in the middle of nowhere,” Okumura said. “I really like nature. It’s something wonderful.”
Okumura enjoys going on boat trips or picnics with friends, biking around campus and stargazing. “One of the greatest things about Grinnell is that you can see the stars so well,” Okumura said. “Sometimes you can see them at Mac Field, but when you go to the golf course, it’s absolutely beautiful. I think that’s one of my favorite things.”
Okumura has adjusted to the Midwest winter, after never having seen snow before her first year.
“I started to not really care,” she said. “I used to have full winter gear. I had my long jacket, I had gloves, but after a while, I started going out with just a thin layer jacket. Not a smart idea. Definitely got sick a lot of times.”
Okumura has also enjoyed spending her free time cooking with friends. “I got to explore different cuisines,” she said. “Good for my stomach, good for my mental health.”
Okumura’s creativity has extended to Grinnell’s dining hall as well, where Okumura and her friends have created and shared personal recipes using dining hall ingredients. One of the recipes is making milk tea through mixing sweet tea and milk. “It’s a life-changer,” Okumura said.
Other recipes include a bagel sandwich with cottage cheese, cream cheese, spinach and onions, and a sauce for chicken strips with honey, butter and Tabasco. “The ratio is really up to you,” Okumura said. “It’s a trial and error kind of thing that was really fun to me. It was really fabulous.”
In addition to making connections with fellow students, Okumura connected with faculty members through her anthropology research. She traveled to Wyoming with Anthropology Professor Laura Ng to help excavate an old Chinatown. Okumura was able to combine her interest in anthropology and biology through the subfield of biological anthropology, specifically examining bones.
Although her post-graduation plans of working for Bloomberg, a financial company in Tokyo, may not be related to her academic interests on the surface, Okumura said that her academic experience at Grinnell has prepared her well.
“The great thing about the Grinnell liberal arts education is how diverse everything is and how interconnected,” Okumura said. “Taking courses in each semester, there’s always some sort of intersection that I could think of … no matter what course I take.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic clouded Okumura’s first year at Grinnell, she said she is glad that her college graduation will be normal.
“The first time I saw people taking off their masks and seeing everyone’s faces, I was like, ‘Oh, wow, I’m actually seeing people,’” Okumura said.
Seeing people was how Okumura spent the rest of her time at Grinnell.
“In Grinnell, you can see your friends everyday,” Okumura said. “When you’re walking around, it’s such a small community that you run into them any time of the day. To think that after graduating that I’m not going to be able to do that is something that’s really sad. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet. … My favorite memories, I can’t really pinpoint one particular moment because every moment is special.”
