|
|
|
The following feature story appeared in the campus publication MOSAIC in January, 1997.
Maia Fujisawa '97
Quiet power and restless curiosity
A student with many interests, restless curiosity, and deep desires "to make a difference," Maia Fujisawa '97 has found Trinity to be a nearly ideal place to challenge herself, pursue her passions for literature and music, and to become actively involved in the cultural life of the College community. A native of a small town in California (Reedley, "The Raisin Capital of the World"), Maia made her first foray east when she attended Brown University's summer school as a high-school junior. "I was scared," she recalls, "but I had a great time and learned a lot about myself, so I decided I would come east to attend college."Maia felt that Trinity was the right place because it is a small liberal arts college that not only allows but encourages students to explore their interests Ñ plus, "some very caring people" in the Admissions' and the Registrar's offices made her feel, she says, "already part of the community." Once here, Maia began her college career by immersing herself in that community, and in the process she has become what many regard as an ideal Trinity student. Modestly, Maia says, "Trinity has fulfilled a lot of my needs and helped me to grow."
Making a difference
Those who know her well often describe Maia as possessing "a quiet power," and one sees that quality in her community-building contributions. Maia's first step in that direction was to join Trinity's Asian American Students Association (AASA). She soon became its president and has been very active in its programs and in increasing campus awareness of AASA. Maia also serves on the executive council of the Multicultural Affairs Council (MAC) and works with the heads of other multicultural groups in bringing films, speakers, and theater groups to campus to establish forums for discussing issues of race, ethnicity, and cultural awareness.
Maia hopes that her efforts, and those of her colleagues on MAC and AASA, will help sustain and enlarge the cultural vitality of the College. "I know that the College is trying to increase campus diversity, and one place I can make a difference is through AASA and MAC." An English major, Maia is also making a difference on campus by serving as a Writing Associate and sharing her talents and writing expertise.
While Maia's activities on behalf of the community take up considerable amounts of her time and energy, she believes that college is first and foremost a place for academic learning, and she pursues her English major with "hard work and absolute determination," according to her adviser, Professor of English Dirk Kuyk. College also has been a place for Maia to follow the strong pull of her intellectual curiosity.
A passion for African-American literature
Maia initially explored American Studies, English, Sociology, and Women's Studies as possible majors. "That's one of the great things about Trinity," she says. "You are encouraged to explore, and I was really glad to be able to take all of the courses I wanted to take so that I could decide on my major." What made English her choice, she says, is that "literary study brings in the political, the historical, and the sociological while keeping literature as the focus."
Maia has "a passion for African-American literature," and it centers on the writings of African-American women in general and Maya Angelou in particular. "I find," she says, "that there is a sense of strength and survival in their texts. I'm especially interested in the ways they develop their narrative form and voices." Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was the first work by an African-American she read, and Maia was instantly captivated by "the power of Angelou's words and her poetic arrangement of language." Maia hopes one day to awaken in others a similar passion for words and narratives by teaching high-school English.
Maia also has a passion for music, and she pursues it, as she pursues so much else, by challenging herself. Taking a course in the music department every semester because she "loves it," Maia also takes private lessons through the College. Having mastered the piano and trumpet in high school, she followed her curiosity to the cello and harpsichord at Trinity. Nancy A. Curran, the College's Instrumental Ensembles Coordinator and Maia's harpsichord teacher, is impressed with Maia's "excellent musical abilities" and the way she quickly mastered her new instrument. "It's been a rewarding experience for me to work with her," says Curran. Remarkably, Maia thinks of her impressive musical pursuits as principally a way to refresh and recharge herself.
Maia's mentors and those she works with all describe her warmly. Assistant Professor of English and American Studies Margo Perkins, for example, says "Maia is a serious and thoughtful student, personable, smart, warm, and outgoing." And Michael J. Pina, Trinity's Assistant Director of Admissions and Coordinator of Minority Recruitment, finds in Maia "an inner strength that makes her a pleasure to be around." But Professor John Platoff, chair of the music department, perhaps best sums up this quiet leader: "In her range of interests, her willingness to try new things, and her serious commitment to her work, Maia demonstrates the best that a Trinity student can be."
--Mark Warren McLaughlin