The North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO) welcomes a new student intern, Yuuka Taniguchi, to the team. Taniguchi is a native of Japan and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in International Business at Dickinson State University (DSU). She also earned an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Studies from DSU. We are excited to have Taniguchi as part of the team, with her passion for agriculture and learning about cultural diversity. She looks forward to helping business relations between ND, Japan and beyond with her internship at the NDTO.
Taniguchi grew up on a family dairy farm in Japan and always had a fascination with traveling abroad. She came to ND for a high school exchange program and returned for undergraduate studies at DSU. While in high school, ND started to grow on her. She fell in love with the beauty of ND’s outdoors (except those cold blizzards!) and the welcoming communities. Her interest in agriculture grew after spending time in Dickinson and seeing differences in agricultural practices from home. Thus, it was very natural for her to make the decision to come back to ND for her undergraduate studies to learn more about agriculture. Taniguchi’s studies focus on agriculture and business, with both classroom learning and university/community engagement through organizations like DSU Agriculture Club and North Dakota Farm Bureau.
“North Dakota is like my home away from home,” says Taniguchi, “and I would like to assist the producers and businesses here as much as possible. Although Japan and the US are quite different, there are a number of common issues that agricultural communities face. I am hoping to learn from the North Dakota community and help foster relationships with Japan.”
Soon, Taniguchi is applying for master’s programs at North Dakota State University and working with NDTO on an internship for practical experience. “After graduating from DSU, I thought about working full time to gain more professional experience, but after working with the NDTO team on some events with the Japanese Consulate, I am excited to see what future educational opportunities I can find in North Dakota. I must explore this opportunity,” says Taniguchi. She will be the first one in her family to apply for graduate studies, and although nervous, she is also very excited about all the new adventures that come along with the challenges ahead.
In the future, Taniguchi hopes to continue bridging relations between producers and consumers on both the domestic level and in international markets. She especially seeks to stay in an international profession that fosters relations between both ND and Japan. The NDTO is happy to have her on the team, and we look forward to seeing all she can accomplish.