At Case Western Reserve University, students can connect with and experience diverse cultures from all over the world. For Hawaii native Dane Mizuno, this environment is a large part of what brought him to Cleveland.
Now, Mizuno not only uses his studies as a fourth-year economics student with a secondary major in international studies to learn more about other cultures—but also to dive deeper into his Japanese roots.
Despite being born and raised in Hawaii, Mizuno claims Tokyo as his home, as most of his family still lives there. Given that fact, Mizuno feels a deep sense of moral responsibility to the country and is determined to learn more about its economy to see where he can step in in the future—from exploring how specific economic incentives shape decision-making, to cutting out sunk cost fallacies to become more efficient.
“This affinity I have with Japan has made it my dream to make Japanese companies an undisputed success on the global level,” Mizuno said.
Ignited by this passion, Mizuno set his sights on CWRU, where he later forged his path in consulting with the guidance of the Office of Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education. Throughout his journey at Case Western Reserve, he also fostered close connections and benefited from mentorships with professors in the university’s Department of Economics as a teaching assistant for “Principles of Microeconomics.”
“I chose to study at CWRU because [it] had an environment I believe would constantly challenge me intellectually while also having a supportive environment to foster that,” Mizuno noted.
Mizuno used the skills and experiences he gained on campus—along with his strong foundation in economics—to land a position as a management consultant at the Tokyo office of Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm. After graduating, he will start this position where he’ll gather and analyze data to provide strategic recommendations for clients.
Until then, Mizuno can be found participating with the CWRU Kendo team to relieve stress and connect to his Japanese heritage.