Assets

<div class="assets-links"><a class="assets-link" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wCK_DOQ4AbXcHTWZoXiNSOftAw2o5sx_QZc0uaHF_cw/edit?usp=sharing"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/605190260cb9b4c3a9de71c8/680115d2ef2b7533efbc7b88_Frame.svg"><div class="inter-400">Comparative Analysis Research Outline</div></a><a class="assets-link" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1etiAZijxeY9WiWLAURMlwzVCosdzDLo0Plx4Je_RR5U/edit?usp=sharing"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/605190260cb9b4c3a9de71c8/680115d2ef2b7533efbc7b88_Frame.svg"><div class="inter-400">Incarceration Interview Questionnaire</div></a><a class="assets-link" href="https://ucarecdn.com/16e0c66e-b88a-4130-ad37-d270094f6461/"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/605190260cb9b4c3a9de71c8/680115d2ef2b7533efbc7b88_Frame.svg"><div class="inter-400">Acceptance Letter from the 2025 Stanford Summer Humanities Institute</div></a><a class="assets-link" href="https://ucarecdn.com/844b74a0-1a1b-4c7c-89ad-0c76cbe841fb/"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/605190260cb9b4c3a9de71c8/680115d2ef2b7533efbc7b88_Frame.svg"><div class="inter-400">Acceptance Letter from the John Locke Institute</div></a></div>

Gallery

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Student & Mentor

Student

<div class="student-mentor-item-div-top-info"><div class="inter-700 _20">Sascha</div><div class="inter-400 _16 left-align">Dwight Global</div><div class="inter-400 _16 left-align">Grade 11</div></div>

Personality

<div class="student-mentor-item-div-tags-wrapp"><div class="case-study-pill bg-light-yellow"><p class="inter-400 _16">Determined</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-light-yellow"><p class="inter-400 _16">Academically Curious</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-light-yellow"><p class="inter-400 _16">Globally Minded</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-light-yellow"><p class="inter-400 _16">Dedicated</p></div></div>

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Interests

<div class="student-mentor-item-div-tags-wrapp"><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Competitive Fencing</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Political Science</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Criminal Justice Reform</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Cross-Cultural Studies</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Literature</p></div></div>

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Mentor

<div class="student-mentor-item-div-top-info"><div class="inter-700 _20">Savannah</div><div class="inter-400 _16 left-align">Cornell University</div><div class="inter-400 _16 left-align">Philosophy and Mandarin</div></div>

Personality

<div class="student-mentor-item-div-tags-wrapp"><div class="case-study-pill bg-light-yellow"><p class="inter-400 _16">Supportive</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-light-yellow"><p class="inter-400 _16">Structured</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-light-yellow"><p class="inter-400 _16">Approachable</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-light-yellow"><p class="inter-400 _16">Analytical</p></div></div>

Interests

<div class="student-mentor-item-div-tags-wrapp"><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Comparative Philosophy</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Cross-Cultural Analysis</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Academic Research</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Critical Writing</p></div><div class="case-study-pill bg-white"><p class="inter-400 _16">Foreign Affairs</p></div></div>

What They Set Out To Do

As a nationally ranked fencer balancing intensive training with academics at an online international school, Sascha sought guidance to develop her academic writing and research skills. With interests spanning political science, law, and cross-cultural studies, she wanted to explore these topics more deeply while preparing for college applications. Having lived in both Japan and America, Sascha was particularly interested in comparing aspects of both societies, but needed structure and mentorship to transform her curiosity into substantive academic work.

The Perfect Match

<div class="case-study-match-wrapper"><div class="match-item"><div class="apercu-mono-pro-700 _20">Global Perspective Synergy</div><div class="inter-400 _16 left-align text-black-80">Both Sascha and Savannah share experiences living between different cultures, creating a unique foundation for exploring cross-cultural approaches to justice systems and social structures.</div></div><div class="match-item"><div class="apercu-mono-pro-700 _20">Balance of Passion</div><div class="inter-400 _16 left-align text-black-80">Savannah recognizes and supports Sascha's dedication to both elite athletics and academic excellence, providing strategies that honor both commitments rather than requiring sacrifice of either.</div></div><div class="match-item"><div class="apercu-mono-pro-700 _20">Guided Academic Exploration</div><div class="inter-400 _16 left-align text-black-80">Savannah's background in philosophy and critical analysis provides the perfect framework for Sascha to transform personal connections to justice systems into rigorous academic research.</div></div></div>

Project Milestones

Research Foundation Established

August 2024 - September 2024

Developed initial research focus comparing Japanese and American prison systems, leveraging Sascha's unique cross-cultural perspective and personal connections to the topic.

Academic Research Skills Development

October 2024 - November 2024

Mastered using scholarly databases like JSTOR to find and analyze academic sources, learning to identify key themes and evaluate source credibility for rigorous research.

Analytical Writing Progress

November 2024 - December 2024

Developed sophisticated academic writing skills, focusing on supporting claims with evidence, maintaining objectivity, and creating logical argument structure in research papers.

Cultural Analysis Breakthrough

December 2024 - January 2025

Explored 'benevolent paternalism' in Japanese corrections and historical Western influences, integrating multiple scholarly sources to develop nuanced cultural comparisons.

Competitive Application Success

January 2025 - February 2025

Applied research experience to craft compelling summer program applications to Stanford's Humanities Institute and Harvard, strategically positioning academic interests.

Personal Narrative Integration

February 2025 - April 2025

Transformed formal research into journalistic essay incorporating personal experiences, developing interview methodology to gather primary source material from family connections.

Skills Developed

Academic research methodology
Critical analysis of scholarly sources
Cross-cultural comparative analysis
Academic and journalistic writing
Interview techniques for primary research
Strategic college application positioning
Time management between academics and athletics
Thesis development and refinement
Data visualization and interpretation
Primary source integration in research

Challenged Overcomed

Balancing elite fencing training with rigorous academics
Navigating online schooling while maintaining academic excellence
Transforming personal connections into objective research
Managing research across multiple cultural contexts
Developing confidence in academic writing abilities
Learning to write for different academic audiences and formats
Adapting to demanding application deadlines while traveling internationally
Processing complex emotional topics through academic frameworks

What’s Next

Sascha plans to continue developing her cross-cultural research on justice systems, incorporating primary interview data and transforming her work into a journalistic essay that highlights her unique international perspective. She's positioning her research and fencing accomplishments for competitive college applications, with interests in political science and law school. Through her work comparing rehabilitation approaches in different prison systems, Sascha hopes to contribute meaningfully to conversations about criminal justice reform while developing her own academic voice.

From Tokyo to DC: How a Nationally Ranked Fencer Built a Cross-Cultural Research Project on Criminal Justice