A recipient of the Beinecke and Rhodes Scholarships, Austin holds an MPhil in Japanese Studies and BAs in English & Creative writing and Japanese Literature and Language. He possesses over 5 years of mentoring experience helping students apply and transition to university and has supported students who were accepted by Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth and more. He believes in helping students maximize their potential by identifying and building upon their unique strengths and perspectives while developing their self-confidence. As a result, he received the Champion for Student Success award three consecutive years while mentoring students at the University of Iowa and was recognized by the president of the university for my significant contributions to the university community. Outside of work, he is a singer, published poet, and student of Japanese language and literature. His master’s dissertation dealt with the work of the haiku master Issa and the function of time in his poetry. Fun fact: He is also a birdwatcher!