Hinako Irei (B.A. Liberal Arts) is an M.A. candidate in the Positive Developmental Psychology and Evaluation program at Claremont Graduate University and a member of Youth Development and Evaluation (YDEval) Lab.
Hinako is from Okinawa, a small island at the southern tip of Japan. She is an advocate of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace initiated by her long-time mentor, Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, the former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. In order to live a contributive life for a better society, youth development and education has been a crucial part of her intellectual existence.
Hinako’s passion led her to participate in multiple study abroad programs and internships related to education in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Japan, Spain, and the United States of America. Currently, she is a Research Assistant at the Survey Design Lab with Dr. Jason Seigel working for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation education programs. In the future, she hopes her work in positive youth development and evaluation will inspire well-being and global friendship among youth.
In her free time, Hinako enjoys water jet-skiing, snorkeling, playing the traditional Okinawan instrument called Sanshin, cleaning/doing laundry, and volunteering to walk shelter dogs. She also holds a black belt in karate, so beware, she is small but mighty!
“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” ― John Dewey