In Their Words: Riri Shibata

Name: Riri Shibata

Department: Environmental Studies and Legal Studies

What Award/ Scholarship did you receive? 2017-2018 Deans’ Award

What year do you expect to graduate? I graduated in March 2018.

College: Stevenson

Where do you call home? Tokyo, Japan

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out?
When I was in middle school, my older brother’s friend shared pictures of UC Santa Cruz after he came back home for Thanksgiving during his first year. Ever since then, I was astonished by the uniqueness of the college campus and its beautiful location. In addition to its distinct environment, UC Santa Cruz’s strong foundation of kind, intelligent, and progressive students and faculty distinguished itself from other institutions.

What is your field of focus? East Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, Legal Studies, International Law, Political Ecology, and Food Studies.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? Through the research skills that I developed over the course of my participation in independent student research, I hope to pursue higher levels of education in my field of interest, so that I can conduct further studies.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? My favorite moments as a student exist not in the large events, but in the smallest moments I have shared with friends and faculty. I cherish the times spent with my fellow classmates, exchanging encouragement during finals week, studying together late at night, and sharing stories by breaking bread. I also treasure the opportunities that I have had while interacting with incredible faculty and distinguished researchers, such as Dr. Flora Lu, Dr. Hiroshi Fukurai, Dr. Nancy Chen, and Dr. Alan Christy.

What is your one piece of advice for incoming students about life at UC Santa Cruz? Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Take advantage of the most caring, resourceful, kind, and inspiring faculty, staff, and students at UC Santa Cruz! Without the tremendous amount of help, advice, and assistance I got from my peers, faculty, and staff, I would not have been able to achieve the things that I’ve accomplished, learn the things I’ve learned, and experience the things I’ve seen and been a part of the past four years.

How will this scholarship impact your academic life /research? When I first came into college I was nervous, afraid, and unconfident. I was afraid to do anything because I didn’t think I was capable to be apart a lot of opportunities that this campus had to offer. But with the guidance, motivation, and courage that my friends, family, and most importantly, faculty like Dr. Flora Lu instilled in me, I’ve come all the way to be able to even apply to a scholarship as competitive as the Deans’ Award. Winning this award has given me proof that if I worked as hard as I did these past years and surround myself with people similar to the friends, family, and faculty at UC Santa Cruz, I could do anything I set my mind to.