Kiana Staples
Class of 2022
What inspired you to pursue a major or minor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures (ALC)?
This is always such a hard question for me to answer. There were really many things that happened throughout my life that led to my major, but I think the first piece of inspiration for my Korean major was my Dad. He was a Black army veteran who served in multiple Asian countries, including South Korea, and he told my little brother and I stories about it all the time. He tried to teach us Korean too, just simple phrases. I guess the more I learn about Korea, the more fascinated I am, and I just have never stopped wanting to learn more about Korea.
How did your studies in the ALC department impact you personally or professionally?
My studies impacted me in several ways, but most recently, I was published for the first time in the Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal. The journal publishes several condensed senior theses each year, and mine was chosen for publication. As someone who is planning on going to graduate school, I’m so happy that ALC at Northwestern prepared me for future research and allowed me to become a published author!
Is there a specific course, event, or memory associated with the ALC department that sticks out to you from your time at Northwestern?
One of my best memories from Korean was the karaoke event the department used to hold in the spring. Students inside and outside of the department were invited to sing Korean songs and eat some Korean food, and professors would sing with us! Everyone always had fun regardless of how challenging it was to sing in a second language. Some students would even dance while they were singing, which was super fun to see. I know this event was paused due to COVID, but I hope it happens again in future years.
What are you working on right now that excites you the most OR are there any accomplishments you would like to share?
I have recently started my first full-time job, which is something that makes me incredibly happy and proud of myself. I’m not using Korean professionally at the moment, but I enjoy my job and am excited to see where it takes me. More generally, I’m always excited to see how my Korean fluency keeps progressing through self study since graduating.
What’s a fun fact that you want to share with the Northwestern community?
I recently visited Chicago to attend a concert for a South Korean alternative group called Balming Tiger and got to meet five of the members!! I’ve got a signed poster and a photo with them to commemorate it. (If you like weird music, I highly recommend checking them out!!)
How do you enjoy spending your free time?
I always like listening to music when I have time. Recently, I’ve been working on reading Korean-language novels after I finish work. Right now, I’m reading the Korean translation of “Le Petit Prince.”