Ondine grew up in Albuquerque, NM, where her love for Japanese culture was first sparked during Japan Week in 1995. After she began teaching herself Japanese in high school, she jumped at the opportunity to participate in Albuquerque Sister Cities’ first youth delegation to Sasebo in 2003 and, in turn, to host a Sasebo student delegate in 2005. She went on to study Japanese language and culture at the University of New Mexico and Akita International University in Japan. Her interests span both traditional and contemporary pop culture—from folklore, kimono, kokeshi, and hanafuda to anime and cosplay, where she has earned international awards for her costume craftsmanship. As Sasebo Co-Chair, Ondine hopes to spark that same cross-cultural curiosity in others by helping create fun, memorable events and perspective-broadening exchanges.
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