By Justine Sanchez, November 4, 2025
Ninety days before taking a study abroad trip to Japan, history student Tyron Cooper-Maysami decided to challenge himself to learn as much Japanese as he could to prepare for the trip.
“I looked up, as soon as I planned the trip, how much should you practice the language beforehand, and it recommended 90 days,” Cooper-Maysami said. “So, I hopped on Duolingo and did 20 minutes every day for about three months.”
A study conducted by Preply shows 80% of Americans recognize learning a few words of the country’s language is important before traveling abroad, yet only 58% do it. Cooper-Maysami prioritized picking up as much of language as he could prior to the trip.
One thing to consider before travelling is the potential language barrier while visiting a new country. As many tourists rely on Google Translate or attempt to communicate in other ways, Cooper-Maysami said it was important to him to learn as much of the Japanese language as possible as a way to learn about their culture and customs.
“There’s only so much that you can express with broken English, and I think language is a key into different people’s brains and different cultures,” Cooper-Maysami said. “I wanted to experience as much of that authentic Japanese culture that I could. It made me feel like I could talk to more people and the world is more open to me, as opposed to being closed off and no one knowing English.”
Political science professor Renford Reese has led 22 study abroad programs, taking students to 15 countries through CPP’s program, more than any faculty in the CSU. He emphasized the importance of learning about the place you’re travelling to, stressing the importance of picking up a few basic phrases in the country’s official language.
“Tyron did a magnificent job of learning those statements and going beyond that,” Reese said. “He was really communicating with them, and I think all of the students at Kobe Women’s University were not only impressed, but they were happy and honored.”
On the 16-day trip, Cooper-Maysami and his classmates stayed in Tokyo and Kobe. The majority of the trip took place in Kobe, where students got the chance to attend lectures at Kobe Women’s University.
“I think it’s always like genuine excitement that someone is willing to go out of their way and appreciate your culture,” said English student Caitlyn Strauss, who also attended this trip. “It’s one thing to visit a country, and it’s another to put in a lot of effort, so I think they were really receptive to it.”
On top of attending lectures, the theme of the trip was Japanese culture, so students participated in Japanese traditions, customs, wore traditional clothing and attended tea making ceremonies.
“Japan is one of the most unique cultures on this Earth, and being completely immersed in that in the middle of the city of Kobe for two weeks really gives you a perspective on how different people can be but also how normal their lives could be to them,” Cooper-Maysami said.
“It’s a different type of devotion that we get to see,” Cooper-Masami said. “Seeing these people pour themselves into such an integral part of their own culture, you get to see a lot about how they live their day-to-day lives and what they value.”
While on this trip, Cooper-Maysami noticed how many reacted to him and his peers when they found out they were American.
Having travelled to six countries before, something that stood out most to Cooper-Maysami about Japan was how respectful the people he came across were. Observing how polite locals were and how quiet they are in public places changed the way he sees interactions among strangers.
Compared to a normal 16-week semester course, these study abroad trips have been more transformative for Reese out of all the other classes he’s taught.
Seeing his students grow every hour of every day, coming back more confident, leadership oriented and fearless about the world and travelling stood out to him. Additionally, he said he enjoys how his students come back with so much cultural curiosity and overall respect for other cultures.
“It’s the smile, the willingness to ask questions, the willingness to make friends and to overall participate and totally immerse yourself in that experience, which is what he did in Japan and Singapore,” Reese said. “I’m so impressed that his interpersonal communication skills are superb. He made so many comments, I started calling him ‘Comments.’”
Cal Poly Pomona’s study abroad program offers students many opportunities to travel throughout the year, regardless of major or grade. CPP currently offers over 100 study abroad programs to over 60 countries all around the world. Programs are academically focused with credit that counts toward graduation and your degree.
