Kaydance Thomas
Coursework Examples
Here you will find major assignments for each category that I have completed throughout my college career. It is also here where my competency in Japanese and business-related courses can be demonstrated.
Linguistic Proficiency
JAPN 4060, Clemson University-
Completed in Fall 2025, this final assignment wraps up with the submission of all the translated sections of Hiromi Kawakami's 'People From My Neighborhood' that I completed. I chose this book, which is originally in Japanese, as my translation project for the second half of the semester. Within the project, you can find the short stories from the book that I had a chance to translate into English.
JAPN 4160, Clemson University-
Completed in Spring 2026, this speech contest manuscript was part of a two-part project in which we constructed our own manuscript in one of three Japanese categories. To be used in Clemson and Georgia's annual Japanese speech contest. My essay talks about my very own experience of finally gaining confidence whilst studying abroad in Japan.
Culture and Literature Competency
JAPN 4010, Clemson University-
This essay was completed most recently during the Spring 2026 semester. The paper is a media analysis of the Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies. It analyzes how war is represented by exploring the many devices used throughout the film (e.g, camera work, dialogue, themes, etc.)
JAPN 4170, Clemson University-
During my Clemson's 2024 summer abroad program, I had the opportunity to conduct ethnographic research with my classmates in Osaka, Japan. This presentation presents the results of our research on Japanese fashion compared to American fashion. This project was a great way to shape our cultural understanding and to develop our critical thinking and language skills. (Within this project, my roles consisted of gathering and researching information presented on the slides about Japanese women's fashion. I was also designated to summarize why these differences between American and Japanese fashion exist)
Business Competency
ECON 3100, Clemson University-
This project was assigned and completed at the end of the Fall 2025 semester. The presentation focuses on the heavy chemical industrialization (HCI) drive of the 1970s in South Korea, its societal impact on South Korean citizens, and its economic effects.
JAPN 3160, Clemson University-
Completed in Fall 2025, this four-page essay covers the specific aspect of Japanese Business culture called RingiSeido. This is the specific step-taking process of reviewing decisions and proposals. For this assignment, I was tasked with writing a 1200-character essay that covered specific criteria, including background, pros and cons, and the expression of personal opinion.