Brenda Gao
Japanese 2026 | Okayama, Japan
Alumni Ambassador
2026
Brenda Gao participated in the 2025 CLS Japanese Program hosted by Okayama University in Okayama, Japan. Brenda graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Japanese. She currently works as a Behavioral Health Consultant at University of Iowa Health Care and volunteers as an English teacher at the International Women’s Club of Iowa City. Her career goal is to become a medical provider in psychiatry.
“The CLS Program was central to my development as a language learner and citizen diplomat. Studying Japanese through CLS in Okayama showed me that immersive language study is built through consistency, humility, and daily engagement, rather than fluency alone.”
– Brenda Gao
