Who am i (What’s my name)?

25 May Who am i (What’s my name)?

Who am i (What’s my name)?

Hi! My name is James Nagaoka. If you know the reference of my title, I think we will be friends. I am from a city called Arcadia, California which is 30 minutes (depending on traffic) northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. Growing up in sunny southern California, I decided that for college, I had to go see what the other parts of the country had to offer. So I decided to go to Ohio and attend The Ohio State University! While Ohio may be a meme amongst the youth today, it is actually just what you think it would be like; farms everywhere. I graduated in May 2022 with a B.S. in Evolution and Ecology. 

I have lived back in Arcadia substitute teaching in the local school districts this past year. I have found a love for teaching. I find a lot of meaning in being able to help students learn and understand new concepts and see the growth in them. I have also been working on a research paper about leaf chlorophyll in two non-native vine species, hoping to get that published in the next year. 

Just a little about me. I am a huge baseball fan. I grew up playing baseball and still play in a rec league today. I am a die-hard Dodgers fan. LA bleeds blue! I also enjoy weightlifting. Once I stopped playing baseball, I needed something to help keep me competitive. I fell in love with weightlifting because I can be competitive with myself. I love pushing myself physically and mentally to break through limits I previously thought were not able to be broken. I also value the discipline I learn from being able to perform even when I do not want to. The gym is not only a place to help clear my mind, but it is also learning a lot about myself and what I am capable of.