Hello! My name is Brian Kuranishi and I am a Japanese American from Kent, Washington. I’m coming into my 4th and final year at the University of Washington double majoring in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts & Communications. On campus, I’ve had the opportunity to work a variety of incredible jobs and am currently working with the Office of Student Life as one of their student photographers. Additionally, I’ve also had the chance to work with First Year Programs as one of their Orientation Leaders and have been involved within the ASUW and their UW Leaders Program.
My idea of leadership is influenced by five key core values that have played a huge role in my time here at UW both in and out of the classroom. These core values are adventure, courage, compassion, happiness and love. Coming into the University of Washington as a transfer student came with challenges of its own, but remembering why I do what I do, and reflecting on my core values has served as a reminder of why I came to the University of Washington in the first place. I’ve been incredibly blessed with so many different opportunities and experiences during my two short years at UW, but I couldn’t have done it without taking a few risks and stepping out of my comfort zone – two ideas that were influenced by my core values of adventure and courage. I’ve also been fortunate to meet some really amazing people during my time here, all of which was built on the foundation of several core values – compassion, happiness and love. Whether it was finding the courage to go for opportunities that were outside of my comfort zone, or leading incoming students and discovering my passion for working in higher education, putting my values at the forefront of everything I do has allowed for me to continue to grow and learn as an individual, helping to shape my Husky Experience.
Reflecting on the experiences I’ve had, I’ve found that my leadership identities are empathetic empowerer, creative adventurist, leadership explorer, and aspiring learner. All of these identities have become a part of who I am during my time here at UW, with each identity representing impactful experiences that have shaped my Husky Experience. In my identity as a creative adventurist, I’ve been able to dive deeper into my passion for being an artist through my travels, and working with various brands around the world. I've also had the opportunity to discover new passions from working with students and empowering them to find their voices through my role as an orientation leader with First Year Programs. Whether it was stepping out of my comfort zone and applying myself towards new opportunities such as public speaking, or exploring my love for the arts and working with others, when I look back at my time here at UW, one of the things that will stand out to me most are the people I’ve met and the experiences that I’ve had. Although my journey getting here was a little unconventional, I wouldn’t trade it for the world, and the experiences that I’ve had and the memories I’ve made are ones that I will forever be thankful for in my time here as a Husky.
While I’ve grown immensely through the many opportunities that have come my way and the relationships that I’ve built within this community, I’ve also had the time to reflect on my why, the reason that I do what I do. One of my goals has always been to give back to my community, a community that has given so much to me, whether that’s been working with students navigating their first-year transitions, or documenting stories and experiences of both myself and those around me through my art, everything I do has always been to give back to those around me in some way.
Leadership is an ongoing journey and is one that I’m excited to continue learning from. Looking towards the future, I hope to be able to continue practicing leadership in my community, acting as a voice to provide support and guidance for those around me. As an aspiring artist, I hope that I can lift up the voices of those around me through my work and inspire others to “Follow Your Stoke”.
