Eric Buzzard, Class of 2010

Hometown: Oakland, California
Citizenship: USA
Has Lived In: Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, London, England
High School: ACS International School,Egham
Major: English

I was born in Oakland, California and lived in and around the East Bay until I was ten years old. When I was in the fifth grade, my father’s business sent my family abroad to Osaka, Japan. For a year I went to school outside of Osaka and then moved to Tokyo for another year and a half. My experiences in the Land of the Rising Sun not only made a huge impact on my personal growth but also influenced my choice of Lewis & Clark. In my junior year of high school, my father was again relocated, this time to London, England. The move was a difficult one but the experience made me appreciate the greater world outside of the United States--something that Lewis & Clark fosters in its students and curriculum.

Having been rather misunderstood by most Americans when I went to high school in California, I was hesitant to return to the United States for college. However, the reception that I received at Lewis & Clark as a TCK was an amazing and surprising experience. The Overseas and Off-Campus programs were another irresistible reason for choosing Lewis & Clark. Aside from the international experiences offered at L&C, the professors at the College are some of the most enthusiastic and intelligent that I have studied with, both in private and public institutions. Though the Princeton Review describes Lewis & Clark as one of the most “godless” campuses in America, there is still a loving and warm religious community that exists within it. As a Christian, new but strong in faith, it was helpful to have that available to me. The guidance and friendship provided by Sister Loretta and all the Catholic students helped me with adjusting to college life.

After college, I would like to travel to Japan to teach English, save some money and use the time to work on my creative writing portfolio, which thus far includes a completed novel which I will soon send to publishers. My education at the College thus far has been exceptional in preparing me for my goal of attending graduate school at the University of Iowa’s Writing Workshop, the premier creative writing program in the country.