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Students Look Forward to Summer Internship in Japan

Emma Marks and Julio Olivarez to Work at Asian Rural Institute Two Wilmington College students will spend the summer working and learning in Japan at an international academy based upon principles of social justice for small sustainable agriculture operations. PICTURED: Emma Marks and Julio Olivarez Emma Marks and Julio Olivarez will intern with the Asian Rural Institute in Tochigi, an area some two-and-a-half hours from Tokyo. The farm, which has livestock and grows an assortment of produce, allows the area to be 90 percent food sufficient. “The sustainability part really drew me to the internship program because I have a career interest in that area,” said Olivarez, a junior majoring in mathematics from Middletown who has a dual minor biology and chemistry. He expects to do a combination of farm and kitchen work. Marks is a senior from York, Pa., majoring in agriculture communications and political science with a minor in sustainability. “I’m interested in this program that pairs community development with sustainable food production,” she said, noting she is looking forward to working with the plethora of interns from around the world. Marks expects to work on the farm and in the institute’s business office. Both students also relish the opportunity to travel while in Japan during their May 22 to Aug. 12 sojourn. Indeed, they will see some familiar faces in early August when they meet up with WC Campus Minister Nancy McCormick and Dr. Tanya Maus, director of the Peace Resource and Quaker Heritage centers, who are part of a doll exchange program in Hiroshima. The students’ travel expenses will be largely covered by the College’s Isaac Harvey and Lew Marcuson travel funds, as well as a Peace Resource Center donor who wishes to remain anonymous.