CAHSS Japanese Language Student Represents U.S.A. as Youth Ambassador at 2025 Osaka World Expo

Growing up in Owasso, Oklahoma, DU student Lauren Siegfried’s international travels with her parents opened her eyes to the world. As a Gosei (fifth generation) mixed Japanese American, her family frequently visited Japan, sparking a passion for the country’s language and culture.

Drawn by the Languages, Literatures & Cultures major with a concentration in Japanese, abundant study abroad opportunities and the chance to explore game design through the Emergent Digital Practices program, Siegfried received the Chancellor’s Scholarship. She started at the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences in fall 2022 and will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in both disciplines, along with a minor in computer science, in June 2026.

After spending her junior year abroad at the Center of Japanese Language and Culture through DU’s partnership with Doshisha University in Kyoto, Siegfried returned to campus in fall 2024 and began searching for new opportunities to return to Japan. She discovered that Sister Cities International was recruiting State Department youth ambassadors for the USA Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka World Expo. 

The World Expo is an international exhibition featuring the cultures, technologies and innovations of participating nations worldwide designed to promote global collaboration, innovation and idea sharing. Recommended by her advisor, Associate Professor Orna Shaughnessy, Siegfried went through a rigorous application process and ultimately was selected as a youth ambassador. 

She helps run the USA Pavilion from the front lines, acting as an English- and Japanese-speaking tour guide inside the exhibition, greeting guests, answering questions, managing the pavilion queue and responding to guest health-related incidents. She relishes the opportunity to live in Osaka “and connect with so many talented youth ambassadors who each bring their unique background and skills,” she said. “I’ve also had the incredible opportunity of guiding the Mayor of Osaka, Mayor of Nagasaki, the Governor of Nara and the Ambassador of Fiji through the USA Pavilion.”

Siegfried was honored to have her design chosen as the official USA Pavilion’s National Day commemorative pin, and to assist the U.S. Presidential Delegation during the USA Pavilion’s National Day celebration, held on July 19, 2025. 

Her interactions with Japanese guests have sometimes proven unexpectedly touching. The last World Expo held in Osaka in 1970 featured a lunar rock gathered in 1969 that left a lasting impression on young visitors. “Guests in their 70s and 80s recall standing in long lines for a glimpse of the original lunar sample,” she said. “It has been really interesting to hear about how much it meant to them to see the previous lunar sample and now this one all these years later.”

Most pavilions feature food from their home countries with authentic ingredients, and youth ambassadors enjoy taking a culinary world tour. “You can eat pizza from Italy and waffles from Belgium — it’s super fun!” Living in Osaka likewise provides a vibrant food and shopping scene, and Siegfried’s apartment, located near the Osaka Aquarium and Universal Studios Japan, ensures “there’s always something exciting to do in my free time.”

She’s grateful to have forged lasting friendships with youth ambassadors from around the country. The experience also has strengthened her determination to use her language skills and cultural knowledge “to build meaningful connections and foster collaboration between the United States and Japan.”

Siegfried will return to DU in winter 2026 to finish her credits toward graduation and hopes to return to Japan soon after as part of the JET Program to teach English in Japan and eventually pursue a career utilizing her language skills in international law, the video game industry or a related field.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is that you don’t always have to follow the ‘main storyline’ of life,” she said. “It’s okay to take side quests along the way. At first, I was hesitant to pursue this opportunity because it would mean graduating a bit later, but I can confidently say I have no regrets. I’ve met so many fascinating people, had so many incredible experiences and gathered stories I’ll be sharing for years to come.”