The FLA Writing Center tutors are postgraduates in or graduates of Sophia University programs. They have all gone through training to ensure they can offer the most in their tutorials. As most tutors are in the process of writing and researching themselves, they are in the ideal position to help other student writers with their writing needs.
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Chae
Experience in Japan: My interest in Japanese art and culture bloomed while majoring in oriental painting in my hometown of Seoul, Korea. Learning about the beautiful, irreplaceable history of traditional Japanese artworks sparked my desire to study Japanese and led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in Japan. Therefore, with a passion for studying and working among Tokyo’s famous museums and galleries, I enrolled in the Faculty of Liberal Arts in the spring of 2024. Academic Writing Experience: Having graduated from a public school in Korea, my academics were based on a traditional Korean educational system. This background limited the opportunity to utilize English in an academic setting. Therefore, upon admission, I was afraid to participate in the FLA Core Program classes. I struggled to pass English Composition 1 and was uninspired to write countless essays. However, with the support and feedback of my English Composition 2 and Thinking Process professors, I became motivated to engage deeply in academic writing and hone my writing skills. This effort resulted in a great sense of achievement, and I wish to share my experience and knowledge with everyone who visits the Writing Center. |
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Emma
Experience in Japan: I first developed an interest in Japan after being exposed to Japanese history in middle school. I then began consuming whatever media I could find that was related to the country, and in high school, I was fortunate to spend a summer in Gunma Prefecture doing a homestay. After that, my love of Japan and Japanese culture was cemented. I began formally studying the Japanese language in college, with the intention of one day returning to Japan to live and work, and after graduation, I became an English teacher in Gifu Prefecture, where I taught for six years. I am now excited to be continuing my studies in Japanese history and culture through the MA in Japanese Studies at Sophia University’s Graduate School of Global Studies. Academic Writing Experience: As an undergraduate in the Honors Program of my university, I was exposed to a wide variety of academic writing styles and analysis, and went on to write research papers for academic conferences and an undergraduate thesis. I applied this experience to my position as a tutor at my university’s Writing Center, where I guided fellow students from both the sciences and the humanities through the full writing process, from brainstorming ideas to drafting outlines to revision. The various techniques I learned at the Writing Center proved invaluable to my students and helped me throughout the process of writing my undergraduate honors thesis. As someone who both loves writing and yet still occasionally experiences dread at looming essay deadlines, I understand the value of having a coherent writing strategy for tackling tough assignments. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and insights with other students, with the hope of building up their confidence and competence as writers. |
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Erin
Experience in Japan: I have been studying Japanese culture and language since I was in high school, where I was part of a sister city cultural exchange between my hometown and Narashino, in Chiba Prefecture. Since then, I have fallen in love with Japanese folklore and mythology, and I am spending my time at Sophia chasing stories in every corner of the country. I originally graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the United States with a BA in history, a BA in theater, and a minor in Japanese, before coming to Yokohama to study Japanese language, and finally to Sophia to study folklore. Academic Writing Experience: My writing experience is very diverse, including preparing research for presentation at an exposition, thesis research and writing, grant proposals, and fiction writing. In academic writing, I really gained the bulk of my experience while earning my history degree. Research, digitization, synthesization of sources: the projects I was undertaking in history required it all, and it was through that process that I learned I have a real love for the work and a desire to pursue it personally and professionally. Through that, I pursued internships in digitizing and transcribing documents for historical law research, as well as independent research and writing on topics of personal interest. I am currently celebrating my first publication in a fictional literary journal for Greek mythology and literature, which I hope will be the first of many. |
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Hanako
Experience in Japan: My journey with Japanese has been lifelong. My father’s family is Japanese-American, so studying Japanese is a way of connecting with my heritage. I briefly lived in Tokyo as a child and continued to self-study Japanese in middle and high school, becoming a fan of Japanese anime, manga, and music in the process. In college, I took Japanese language and literature classes and earned a BA in Japanese from Washington and Lee University. I joined the Graduate Program in Global Studies in spring 2025 to pursue an MA in Japanese Studies, focusing on literature. Academic writing experience: I have benefited from expert writing advice since high school, when I won two national essay contests with the help of an amazing Advanced Placement English teacher. As an undergraduate, I wrote many papers, mostly in literature and art history, honing my skills in research and argumentation. Crafting an argument is hard work, but can be very enjoyable with the right organization and strategy. I look forward to helping students bring out their best writing. |
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Hanalei
Experience in Japan: My childhood was spent alternating between living in my home countries, the United States and Japan, and moving abroad. During my time away from Japan, I enjoyed staying connected to the culture through studying Japanese and keeping up with the latest variety show episodes. I returned to Japan for my sophomore year of high school, and have been living in Tokyo ever since. Academic writing experience: Although English is one of my first languages, I was not always confident in utilizing the language in academic settings. For the majority of my elementary school years, I did not attend a school where English was the language of instruction. Upon starting middle school at an American international school, I felt nervous about the prospect of being tested for my English vocabulary and writing abilities. Despite my initial learning curve, I soon began to take genuine delight in refining my reading comprehension and writing skills. Motivated by my interest in academic reading and writing, I challenged myself further in the English courses I took in high school: AP (Advanced Placement) English Literature and Composition, and SUPA (Syracuse University Project Advance) Introduction to Creative Nonfiction. Having completed English Composition 1 and 2 in the FLA program, I believe that my writing skills continue to improve. As I was able to grow from the support of my English teachers, professors, and writing center tutors, I hope to be a helpful and encouraging tutor. |
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Hikari
Experience in Japan: I was born in Brazil and was raised in three other countries outside of Japan before I came here when I was 7 years old. I have stayed here since then and have attended international schools all throughout elementary to high school. I am currently a student of FLA in Sophia University. Academic writing experience: In high school, I learned and wrote academic writing and utilized this skill in courses such as AP (Advanced Placement) Language and Composition, and AP World History. Although I had experience in academic writing prior to entering Sophia University, FLA’s core program has been rigorous. The core program courses are demanding but rewarding, and I hope to help students make the most out of the process and to see their writing flourish. |
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Kailani
Experience in Japan: Growing up in Hawaii, I visited my family in Iwate Prefecture every summer. Despite my frequent visits, I felt disconnected from that side of my identity. During high school, I became increasingly interested in exploring my Japanese heritage and learning the language, which inspired me to continue my academic journey in Japan. This led me to enrol in the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Sophia University in the fall of 2024. While studying at university, I am excited to continue deepening my understanding of Japanese culture and building connections with students. Academic Writing Experience: I first realized my passion for writing in elementary school during a creative writing class and continued to explore the subject throughout middle and high school through courses like AP Language, AP Literature, AP Seminar, and AP Research. These classes came relatively easily to me, instilling confidence in my abilities. That changed when I entered Sophia University, where I experienced newfound challenges, particularly in my English Composition 1 class. Due to my struggles, I started to question my educational identity. At the start of the second semester of my first year, I set a goal for myself to exert at least twice as much effort as I did in the previous year. This focus led me to improve my writing technique and regain the passion I once had. During my journey as a Writing Center tutor, I look forward to growing alongside fellow students and sharing the insights I gain throughout the experience. |
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Mark
Experience in Japan: I moved to Japan in 2018 with my wife when we decided we wanted to start our family in the country that she was raised in. Having been interested in Japanese history and culture since my youth, I re-enrolled in college as an adult and earned my degree in Asian Studies at Temple University Japan Campus. I fell in love with academia and decided to continue my academic journey at Sophia University in the GPGS program as a Global Studies major. While completing my undergraduate studies I have also worked as a teacher at a bilingual preschool (2018-2022) and an international school in Tokyo (2024-present). Academic Writing Experience: My experience as a writer is in both academic and professional fields. When I was completing my undergraduate degree I worked as a writing tutor, student mentor, and as a Diamond Peer Teacher in Temple University Japan’s Sociology department. Some of my responsibilities included helping students refine their main ideas, moderating class discussions, and creating lecture content. My student work extended to being a member of Temple Japan’s Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies, where I worked on a research team with other undergraduate students. As such, I am familiar with research reports, research papers, writing within confined word limits, and graduation theses. I greatly enjoy the writing process and want to help others refine their skills and be more confident writers. |
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Tram
Experience in Japan: My journey to Japan was sparked by the experiences I had working with Japanese people during my gap years in high school. It was during that time that I was captivated by Japanese culture and its unique cuisine. After a few visits to Japan, I made the decision to resume my studies with the goal of graduating from high school and pursuing further education in Japan. In 2020, I enrolled in a Japanese language school to hone my Japanese skills, and by Spring 2023, I was accepted into the Faculty of Liberal Arts at Sophia University. Academic Writing Experience: Born and raised in Vietnam, my education centered on traditional schooling where Vietnamese served as the primary medium of instruction. Until 2019, my exposure to English was limited to rote memorization of vocabulary and grammar for in-class exams. However, in 2020, driven by my ambition to gain admission to the Faculty of Liberal Arts (FLA) at Sophia University, I embarked on a dedicated journey to master English. After three years of unwavering commitment, I succeeded in securing a place in the FLA. Despite this achievement, academic writing remained unfamiliar territory for me. My first essay in the English Composition 1 class was filled with comments and question marks from my professor; I had no idea what unity and coherence meant. However, through rigorous study and perseverance, my writing skills significantly improved after two semesters in the FLA Core Program: I now find myself equipped to communicate effectively as a writer. Having rapidly transformed from someone struggling to construct a coherent sentence to being recommended to work as a tutor at the Writing Center, I am eager to help students to become stronger writers. |
Do you have what it takes to be a writing center tutor?
FLA Writing Center Tutor Qualifications
Applicants should…
- be Graduate Students** or Alumni of Sophia University or exceptional undergraduate FLA students that have been encouraged to apply by their Core Program Professor.
- have advanced proficiency in spoken and written English.
- be comfortable providing feedback on students’ written assignments, essays, reports, and other papers.
- be friendly, supportive, and enthusiastic about providing academic advice to undergraduates.
- have a strong sense of responsibility.
- be reachable via email.
- be available to work at least two days per week, with a minimum of two sessions each day, for at least two semesters (hours are flexible).
*Applicants must also have a ‘Working Permission’ and ‘Residence Card’.
Job Description
- Successful applicants will receive training and have the opportunity to observe experienced tutors.
- Writing Center tutors are expected to visit classes and introduce the Writing Center to students at the beginning of each term.
- Writing Center tutors are expected to assist with and facilitate Writing Center workshops.
Hiring for the Autumn 2025 semester is now closed. However, we are now accepting applications for Spring 2026.
If you are interested in working as a tutor, please email the Writing Center ([email protected]).
In your email explain why you want to work for the FLA Writing Center and how many semesters you will be able to work. In addition, attach a CV/resume, a recent writing sample for evaluation, and a prospective writing center tutor bio and photo in your application (see TUTORS section above for examples of tutor profiles) .