Bio:
Kat earned a Bachelor’s Degree with distinction from Stanford University in 2015, specializing in English (Creative Writing Track) and Japanese Language. Soon after, Kat moved to Japan where they’ve worked in education with all age groups ever since: teaching, essay counseling, and training students for English speech competitions. In 2018, Kat enrolled in the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies, a ten-month-long Japanese intensive run by Stanford and affiliated universities. They then went on to complete a Master’s Degree from Waseda University in 2023, studying the development of drag performance culture in urban Japan.
As an Essay Counselor, Kat pursues a holistic approach to support students’ academic goals. A good essay combines strong writing with keen insight into one’s strengths and values as a scholar. With this in mind, Kat is always keen to build a strong classroom relationship with their students and to develop their voices as writers. In addition to working at Tokyo Academics as an Essay Counselor and Academic Tutor, Kat also balances their time as a journalist for publications such as Tokyo Weekender, the Japan Times, Gay Times, and Japan Today.
Since 2021, Kat’s students have been accepted into universities such as Waseda SPSE, University of Washington, Santa Clara University, University of Minnesota, University of Puget Sound, as well as boarding schools such as The Frederick Gunn School and Cushing Academy.