My name is Alex Patton, I’m a freshman at Old Dominion University, and I major in International Business. I minor in Japanese as well, and this year will mark my sixth year studying the language. I’m goth and I really love music and fashion. Shopping is another hobby of mine and I love to drive to different malls or shopping centers around Hampton Roads. Spending time with my friends is important to me, and I try to hang out with them as much as possible outside of work and school. I love to cook Japanese cuisine with groceries from my favorite grocery store, Ichiban. I often speak to the Japanese staff members to improve my Japanese naturally. 

I’ve had an interest in Japanese since I was in middle school because I was fixated what I considered the art form of the written language; hiragana, katakana, and especially kanji. I plan to have biliteracy upon graduating from ODU, which I want to use in my field of business. I believe that bilingual individuals have a great advantage to others, being able to communicate with all different kinds of people respectfully and accurately.  

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