Chloe McLeod, a senior studying chemistry who graduates in December from The University of Toledo, won Saturday’s 2023 Ohio Japanese Speech Contest at the University of Findlay. McLeod was competing against more than a dozen students.
“This is a remarkable achievement, as the competition involves highly competitive blind reviews to select the finalists,” said Dr. Kasumi Yamazaki, an associate professor and director of the Japanese Program in the UToledo Department of World Languages and Cultures. “Chloe received the top award among 13 highly skilled presenters, including Japanese majors from renowned universities in the state of Ohio. I believe this accomplishment is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students.”
Chloe McLeod, center, a UToledo senior studying chemistry who graduates in December, holds her trophy after winning the 2023 Ohio Japanese Speech Contest. McLeod, who competed against a dozen college students across the state, is posing with the competition’s four judges.
McLeod said she was grateful for the opportunity to represent UToledo.
“It is such an honor to have placed first in the Ohio Japanese Speech Contest and to be recognized by the Japan America Society of Central Ohio,” she said. “I owe great thanks to Dr. Kasumi Yamazaki, who helped me so much in writing my speech and preparing for the contest.
“When I began learning Japanese, I studied on my own using online resources and podcasts, purely for fun. It’s so surprising and encouraging to see how far I have come since then. I’ve definitely learned a lot from the contest, and I am eager to use this experience to improve my language skills going forward.”
