Grad Student at BU Studying Japanese Manga and Comic Creation

Katherine B.

Hi! My name is Katie/Katherine. I'm a master's student studying Visual Narrative at Boston University, which is just a fancy way of saying I draw comics! I returned to the States last fall after 12 years in Japan. The subjects I tutor are language and art; specifically, Japanese, English as a second language, illustration, watercolor painting, and digital and analog comic and manga (Japanese comic) drawing. I received my BFA from Arizona State University in 2011, after which I spent 5 years in rural Japan teaching English, then 3 years working in international relations in Tokyo. After a 6 month period dedicated to my own comic creation activities, I worked for 3 years at a vocational school for the creative arts in Shibuya, Tokyo, Nippon Designers School and Nippon Photography Institute. I am currently a cartoonist and graduate student both researching and creating bilingual comics. I am a native English speaker with certification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and full fluency in Japanese (JLPT N1 and BJT certification). I have more than 8 years experience working in education with all ages, from kindergarten to post-secondary education. I have more than 3 years of experience working in education specifically for the creative arts. I am passionate about education and sharing with students both the joys and difficulties of learning a second language, and even more passionate about self-expression through illustration and comics/manga. I look forward to sharing your learning journey with you!