Kansas State University

K-State student selected for Japanese National Honor Society-College Chapter

Submitted by Communications and Marketing

Kansas State University's John Boyington, a senior in engineering from Phillipsburg, is a new member of the Japanese National Honor Society-College Chapter.

Boyington was nominated for induction by Kumiko Nakamura, instructor of Japanese. He is among the more than 800 college and university students who have been inducted into the honor society's collegiate chapter since it was established in 2007. The honor society recognizes and encourages achievement and excellence in the study of the Japanese language. The society is administered by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese and membership is recognized as a national achievement.

As a K-State freshman taking Japanese II, Boyington was invited to give his speech at the annual Japanese speech contest at the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago. He won second place in the lower college division. Boyington successfully completed a minor in Japanese language in spring 2014.

To be considered for membership to the society, students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 in five semesters or seven quarter courses in the Japanese language and must have an overall GPA of 3.0 at the time of nomination. Students nominated for membership receive certificates of excellence and are recognized on the American Association of Teachers of Japanese website.

According to the Modern Language Association, or MLA: "The MLA regards the learning of languages other than English as vital to an understanding of the world; such learning serves as a portal to the literature, cultures, historical perspectives and human experiences that constitute the human record. Pragmatically, we believe in the value of becoming part of a global conversation in which knowledge of English is often not enough, and the security and future of our country depend on accurately understanding other cultures through their linguistic and cultural practices."

For more information about the Japanese National Honor Society or the American Association of Teachers of Japanese, visit aatj.org.