The mission of Soka University of America is to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life.
Class of 2025
Commencement Ceremony
Friday, May 2 3 , 2025
Two o’clock in the afternoon
Soka Performing Arts Center
Aliso Viejo, California
Message from the Chair, Board of Trustees
Dear Class of 2025,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I offer my sincere congratulations to the Class of 2025. Today marks the culmination of many years of dedicated study and perseverance as well as the start of a new chapter in which you will play the leading role in bringing SUA’s mission to life in the communities where you will live and work.
Your time at SUA has prepared you to navigate an increasingly complex world with wisdom, resilience, and a commitment to living a contributive life. The friends you have made, the challenges you have overcome, and the diverse global perspectives you have learned from will serve as guiding lights in your journey.
SUA was founded on the belief that education exists to empower individuals to create value in society. As you take your first steps out into the world, I encourage you to embody that philosophy in all that you do – in your chosen profession, service to others, and daily life.
It has been an honor to witness the growth of this remarkable institution and the extraordinary leaders it fosters. We, the Board of Trustees, take great pride in your achievements and look forward to seeing the lasting contributions you will make. You will always be a valued member of the Soka community, and thus we hope you will remain engaged and supportive of future generations of Soka students.
Congratulations once again on your graduation. We celebrate your success and the boundless possibilities ahead.
Sincerely,
Stephen S. Dunham Chair, Board of Trustees
Message from the President
To the Undergraduate and Graduate Classes of 2025,
I am delighted to extend my warmest congratulations to you as graduates of Soka University of America. Today, we honor the significant academic achievement you have attained through your hard work, bonds of friendship as classmates, and commitment to your education.
I would also like to express my deepest thanks to all family and friends who have joined us from near and far on this occasion. Your support and encouragement have bolstered our graduates throughout their journeys, inspiring them to persevere and reach the milestone we celebrate today. At our commencement ceremony, we are honoring undergraduate students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts, as well as graduate students who have completed a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Societal Change.
Graduates, as you move on to future endeavors, know that our entire community here at Soka is cheering you on, and we are fully confident in your ability to help bridge divides and create meaningful change in an increasingly polarized society. As our founder Daisaku Ikeda wrote to SUA’s second graduating class, “You embrace a robust philosophy that reveres the inherent dignity of life. You possess the responsive wisdom that joyfully creates value. You possess the character that nurtures harmony while respecting diversity. And you possess the courage to remain true to your convictions.”
May each of you pursue a lifetime of learning, continually nurturing your curiosity and growth as compassionate global citizens who contribute to a more sustainable, just, and peaceful world. Congratulations to the class of 2025 on your well-earned success!
Sincerely,
Edward M. Feasel President
Order of Exercises
Processional
Soka University Student Orchestra (Please stand during the Processional.)
The National Anthem
Student Chorus
Welcome
Dr. Edward M. Feasel
President
Commencement Address
Orlando Bloom
Musical Interlude
“On the Path of Peace” – Student Song
Student Choir and Orchestra
Conferring and Presentation of Graduate Degree
President Feasel
Dr. Tomoko T. Takahashi, Vice President for Institutional Research and Assessment, and Dean of the Graduate School
Graduate Student Speaker
Felipe Iwahashi da Silva
Order of Exercises
continued
Conferring and Presentation of Undergraduate Degree
President Feasel
Dr. Michael Weiner, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. M. Robert Hamersley, Dean of Faculty
Undergraduate Student Speakers
Marina Taemi Inoue
Ashley Ayumi Nakazaki
Jordan G. Bravo
Presentation of Founder’s Award
President Feasel
Finale and Performance
“Light of Hope” – Daisaku Ikeda and Wayne Green
Student Choir and Orchestra
Recessional
Soka University Student Orchestra
(Please stand and remain at your seat until the graduates have recessed.)
Commencement Reception
Light refreshments to follow ceremony
Founders Walk
Commencement Speaker
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom, an English stage and film actor, rose to fame as the elven prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and the brave and loyal blacksmith Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean – two of the most influential film franchises of all time. While these roles made him a household name, Bloom has used his considerable influence in the decades since to bring attention to pressing global issues, including the vulnerabilities of children in conflict.
Born in Canterbury, England, in January 1977, he moved to London at 16 years of age and pursued his dreams of becoming an actor. He completed his studies before attending the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. While his name in old Teutonic means “famous throughout the land,” his path nearly ended before it began. Bloom was training at the prestigious performing arts conservatory at age 21, when he fell three stories and broke his back. Doctors warned he might never walk again. He did more than that—he returned to the stage. And, as fate would have it, he caught the eye of a director who encouraged him to audition for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The rest is cinematic history.
Bloom’s passions have extended far beyond the silver screen. As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, he has traveled extensively to champion the rights of children, including to Nepal, Bangladesh, Jordan, Liberia, and the Ukraine. In 2015, he received the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award in recognition of his work with UNICEF. His return to Kyiv in 2023 is a testament to his ongoing commitment to children’s rights.
Off screen, Bloom is a longtime member of the Soka Gakkai International, a global Buddhist movement that promotes world peace rooted in the fundamental equality of all people and respect for the dignity of life. In 2006, he met with his spiritual mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, who offered a piece of advice that Bloom seems to have taken to heart: “Success today doesn’t automatically guarantee success tomorrow. Final victory is eternal victory. That’s my advice to you as a friend.” For his part, Bloom remains ever more committed to developing his life and art in the service of humanity.
Candidates for Degrees
Soka University of America
Academic Year 20 24 - 2025
Master of Arts, Educational Leadership and Societal Change
Victor Boey Xing Yi Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Felipe Iwahashi da Silva São Paulo, Brazil
Liew Wei Shun Ampang, Malaysia
Robi-Baggio Lynes Sydney, Australia
Mahmood Omid Anaheim, California
Shanker Pudasaini Kathmandu, Nepal
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts
Ivan Yahir Acosta
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Apple Valley, California
Maria Akenkou Life Sciences
Rabat, Morocco
Tess Aman
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Annapolis, Maryland
Sayaka Amano Humanities
Izumo, Japan
Philips Ametsikor
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tema, Ghana
Johnson Amoah Life Sciences
Kumasi, Ghana
Mahir Anand
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Dehradun, India
Kamry Michelle Aragon
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Corona, California
Masayuki Arihara Humanities
Pavle Bajic’ International Studies
Beograd, Serbia
Luis Barraza-Hernandez
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Greeley, Colorado
Nina Sofia Battioni Humanities
Iseo, Italy
Joshua LaRue Beam Life Sciences
Gardnerville, Nevada
Wren Wylan Biggers International Studies
Salmon, Idaho
Jordan G. Bravo International Studies
Victorville, California
Andrea Marlen Campuzano
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Anaheim, California
Jelina Belit Caro-Alvarez Life Sciences
Sunrise, Florida
Makenna Nicole Carpinella
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sparks, Nevada
Sebastian R. Castillo Life Sciences
Lima, Peru
Yirru Cheng
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Malaysia
Nugnandini Chhetri
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sikkim, India
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts continued
Sky S. Chun
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Federal Way, Washington
Sam Dagg Life Sciences
Seattle, Washington
Franny DePhillips
Environmental Studies
Boise, Idaho
Tenzin Dhesel Life Sciences
Amherst, Massachusetts
Naiyla Marie Dixon
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Fresno, California
Ngoc Doan
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Shruti Dubey
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Greater Noida, India
Jean-Pierre Dufour
Environmental Studies
Seattle, Washington
Hina Ebata
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Shibuya, Japan
Allison Marie Hi'ilani Etrata Humanities
Koloa, Hawaii
Takako Funaki Humanities
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Marina Grujic
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Aliso Viejo, California
Valeria Guevara Fernandez
International Studies
Pereira, Colombia
Taylor Grace Hampton Life Sciences
Las Vegas, Nevada
Yuna Hasegawa
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Osaka, Japan
Abby Carol Hiatt
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Fresno, California
Maya Hidana Humanities
LeNia Sade Holt Life Sciences
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Zachary Kyle Holt Life Sciences
Coos Bay, Oregon
Hiromi Ieda
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Nagoya, Japan
Satoru Inaba
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tokyo, Japan
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts continued
Marina Taemi Inoue
Humanities
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Vladivostok, Russia
Mia Bella Ionna
Life Sciences
Alexandria, Kentucky
Cienna Lynn Irwin
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Norco, California
Yuuma Jay Ishii
International Studies
Las Vegas, Nevada
Dilnaz Iskendirova
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Astana, Kazakhstan
Hiromi Ito
Environmental Studies
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Gunma, Japan
Masahiro Iwashita
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Osaka, Japan
Sarah Elise Johnson
International Studies
Bloomfield, New York
Naoki Kasai
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Torrance, California
Solar Hiroaki Kawabata
Life Sciences
Northglenn, Colorado
Hiromi Kawai
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Edogawa, Japan
Paridhi Khanduri
Social and Behavioral Sciences
New Delhi, India
Ryan Jun Kim
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Downey, California
Miles Andrew King Humanities
Chicago, Illinois
Sophie Paige King Humanities
Evanston, Illinois
Maya Klein
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Vancouver, Canada
Keiko Koguchi
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Portland, Oregon
Miki Koyama
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Irvine, California
Carol Krein Robinson
International Studies
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Ijui, Brazil
Haruka Kumano
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Yokohama, Japan
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts continued
Quyen Le
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Hanoi, Vietnam
Petrus Rodrigues de Lima
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Brasília, Brazil
Emilio Martinez Pastrana
International Studies
Jojutla de Juarez, Mexico
Izzy McNall
Environmental Studies
Eugene, Oregon
Alissa Nataly Medina
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Chicago, Illinois
Julia Mayumi Miyagawa Braga
International Studies
São Paulo, Brazil
Kazuyo Mizuta
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Nagasaki, Japan
Isabela Moro Luna
Environmental Studies
Querétaro, México
Muchindu Mwananyanda
International Studies
Lusaka, Zambia
Ashley Ayumi Nakazaki
Environmental Studies
International Studies
Honolulu, Hawaii
Kaori Andie Nemoto
Humanities
International Studies
Simi Valley, California
Keito William Newman
Environmental Studies
Humanities
Ottawa, Canada
Alice Hoangyen Nguyen
International Studies
Houston, Texas
Vi Nguyen Do Khanh
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Hanoi, Vietnam
Kazuyo Nishida
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tokushima, Japan
Michika Nishikawa
Environmental Studies
Fukuoka, Japan
Satoshi Nishizaka Humanities
Tachikawa, Japan
Ellen Akemi Nishizawa
Social and Behavioral Sciences
São Paulo, Brazil
Sakiko Ochiai
International Studies
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Kagawa, Japan
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts continued
Naylah Noemy Oliveira Santos Life Sciences
Brasilia, Brazil
Kenta Ono Humanities
Ikeda, Japan
Lara Santana Paderes
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Salvador, Brazil
Arnav Pandey Life Sciences
Kathmandu, Nepal
Joshua David Laraia Pilcher
International Studies
Mill Valley, California
Kenichi Justin Price
Environmental Studies
Waipahu, Hawaii
Shayla Kalia Kailash Rose-Brown
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Sebastopol, California
Yuichi Sakemi
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Yamaguchi, Japan
Yoko Sato
International Studies
Gifu, Japan
Yudai Sato
Environmental Studies
Kawachinagano, Japan
Hannah Claire Schneider Humanities
Naples, Florida
Kako Anne Shimamura Life Sciences
Snellville, Georgia
Liona Miyuki Shoji
International Studies
Los Angeles, California
Karly Sierka
Environmental Studies
Malibu, California
André Aquene Jessie Souza
International Studies
Sacramento, California
Vitória Souza e Robles
Environmental Studies
Taubaté, Brazil
Saron Solomon Tadesse Life Sciences
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Leo Naoto Takaku
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Aliso Viejo, California
Max Masato Takaku
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Aliso Viejo, California
Shinichi Takebe
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Osaka, Japan
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts continued
Miyuki Takeda
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Hirakata, Japan
Hiroto Tamura
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Fukuoka, Japan
Siena Taylor
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Pasadena, California
Takayuki Toyama
Environmental Studies
Ota, Japan
Sofia Catherine Vitale Life Sciences
San Diego, California
Trystan Michael Ward Life Sciences
Denver, Colorado
Rika Watanabe
Life Sciences
Tokyo, Japan
Ran Watarai
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tokyo, Japan
Devin Fumiaki Weber
Life Sciences
Aurora, Colorado
Gray White Humanities
Portland, Oregon
Ema Cristina Winkler Humanities
Alexandria, Virginia
Ambyr Wong
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Hong Kong
Aska Elizabeth Wurtz
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Finleyrose Wyatt
Environmental Studies
International Studies
Aberdare, Wales
Sachie Yabe Humanities
Tokyo, Japan
Kalen Yamamoto
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Cypress, California
Liang Kyosaburo Yantoda
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Tanjung Balai Kota, Indonesia
Daniel Yoshimura
Environmental Studies
Aliso Viejo, California
Eiki Yoshimura
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Kyoto, Japan
Jiheng Zhu Humanities
Shenyang, China
Board of Trustees
Stephen S. Dunham, J.D., Chair Baltimore, Maryland
Tariq Hasan, Ph.D., Vice Chair New York, New York
Andrea Bartoli, Ph.D. New York, New York
Matilda Buck Los Angeles, California
Lawrence E. Carter, Sr, Ph.D., D.D., D.H., D.R.S. Atlanta, Georgia
Andy Firoved Irvine, California
Jason Goulah, Ph.D. Chicago, Illinois
Clothilde V. Hewlett, J.D. San Francisco, California
Board of Trustees continued
Karen Lewis, Ph.D. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Luis Nieves Napa, California
Isabel Nuñez, Ph.D., MPhil, J.D. Fort Wayne, Indiana
Gene Marie O’Connell, R.N., M.S. Corte Madera, California
Adin Strauss Santa Monica, California
Yoshiki Tanigawa Tokyo, Japan
Gregg S. Wolpert New York, New York
Edward M. Feasel, Ph.D. (ex-officio member) Aliso Viejo, California
Faculty 2024-2025
Zahra Afrasiabi, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry
Tanushree Agrawal, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Psychology
Ryan Allen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Comparative and International Education and Leadership
Robert E. Allinson, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy
Shane Joshua Barter, Ph.D. Professor of Comparative Politics
Peter F. Burns, Ph.D. Professor of Political Science
George Busenberg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Management & Policy
Ryan A. Caldwell, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology
Monika P. Calef, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Physical Geography, Director of Environmental Studies Concentration
Pablo Camus-Oyarzun, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Spanish Language and Culture
Esther S. Chang, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Director of Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration
Hong-yi Chen, Ph.D. Professor Emerita of Economics
Darin W. Ciccotelli, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Composition, Director of the Writing Program
Tomás Crowder-Taraborrelli, Ph.D.
Lecturer of General Education
Lisa T. Crummett, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology, Director of the Life Sciences Concentration
Danielle R. Denardo, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Sociology
Sarah England, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Anthropology
Robin Fales, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Marine Ecology
Edward M. Feasel, Ph.D. President, Chief Academic Officer, Professor of Economics
Arie A. Galles, M.F.A. Professor Emeritus of Painting/ Drawing, Artist in Residence
Oleg Gelikman, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Comparative Literature
Michael D. Golden, D.M.A. Professor of Music Composition and Theory
Faculty 2024-2025
M. Robert Hamersley, Ph.D. Dean of Faculty, Professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry
John (Jay) M. Heffron, Ph.D. Professor of Educational History and Culture
Nancy Hodes, Ph.D. Professor Emerita of Chinese Language and Culture
Dongyoun Hwang, Ph.D. Professor of Asian Studies
Osamu Ishiyama, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Culture
John Pavel Kehlen, M.A. Professor of Asian Literature, Director of Humanities Concentration, Director of the Pacific Basin Research Center
Gesa Kirsch, Ph.D. Professor of Rhetoric and Composition
Robert Levenson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
Junyi Liu, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Economics
Xiaoxing Liu, Ph.D. Professor Emerita of Chinese Language and Culture
Edward Lowe, Ph.D. Professor of Anthropology
Lisa A. Hall MacLeod, Ph.D. Assistant Dean of Student Success, Associate Professor of International Studies, Director of International Studies Concentration
Sonwabile Mafunda, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Hiroshi Matsumoto, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Culture
Diya Mazumder, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Economics
Jim Merod, Ph.D. Professor of American Literature
Jonathan Lee Merzel, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics
Kevin Moncrief, Ph.D. Executive Director of the Ambassador Andrew Young Dialogue Lab
Karen Moran Jackson, Ph.D. Interim Director of the MA Program in Educational Leadership and Societal Change, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Assessment
Marie Nydam, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biology
Ian Olivo Read, Ph.D. Co-Director of the Center for REHR, SIGS Senior Research Fellow
Faculty 2024-2025 continued
Anne Pearce, M.F.A.
Professor of Studio Art
Bryan E. Penprase, Ph.D.
Vice President for Sponsored Research and External Academic Relations, Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Katherine Perry, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Deike Peters, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Planning and Practice
Veronica Quezada, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Spanish Language and Culture
Nalini N. Rao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of World Art
Don Ryan, M.F.A.
Lecturer of Ceramics, Director of Creative Arts Program
Sandrine Siméon, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean of Global Citizenship, Associate Professor of French Language and Culture, Director of the Language and Culture Program
James Spady, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of American History
Tomoko T. Takahashi, Ph.D., Ed.D., L.H.D.
Vice President for Institutional Research and Assessment, Dean of the Graduate School, Professor of Linguistics and Education
Seiji Takaku, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology
Gail E. Thomas, Ph.D. Professor Emerita of Sociology
Phat Vu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Physics, Director of Science and Math Program
John F. Walker, M.A. Director, English Language Programs
Susan Walsh, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Molecular/ Cell Biology
Michael Weiner, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Professor of East Asian History & International Studies
Kristi Wilson, Ph.D. Professor of Rhetoric and Composition
Sijia Yao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Chinese Language and Culture
About Soka University of America
A Proud Heritage
“What our world most requires now is the kind of education that fosters love for humankind, that develops character – that provides an intellectual basis for the realization of peace and empowers learners to contribute to and improve society.”
– Daisaku Ikeda, Founder, SUA in a lecture at the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi, India, October 21, 1997
Helping students learn how to create value in their lives, their communities and the world is a central tenet of the Soka schools founded by Daisaku Ikeda (1928-2023), an educator who served as president of the Soka Gakkai International until his death. The Soka schools, which range from kindergartens to the 8,800-student Soka University in Japan, have established a tradition of humanistic learning and scholarship where the focus is on each student’s growth and development. Soka means “to create value.”
Soka education has its origins in the work of Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, a Japanese educator and Buddhist leader. During World War II, Makiguchi was arrested as a “thought criminal” by Japanese military authorities for his opposition to the war and his defense of religious freedom. He died in prison in 1944.
The small education society that Makiguchi founded in 1930 has since grown to become one of the world’s largest lay Buddhist organizations. Today, members of the SGI work for education, peace, and cultural exchange in over 190 countries.
In February 1987, Soka University of America (SUA), an independent notfor-profit organization incorporated in the state of California, dedicated its first campus in Calabasas, California. The Graduate School opened in 1994, offering a Master of Arts degree in Second and Foreign Language Education with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
About Soka University of America continued
The Graduate School held its first commencement in December 1995, the same year SUA acquired a 103-acre site in Aliso Viejo for a private non-profit four-year liberal arts college. The Aliso Viejo campus opened May 3, 2001, with its first entrance ceremony for a freshman class of 120 students from 18 countries and 18 states. On May 22, 2005, the Aliso Viejo undergraduate program held its first commencement.
Situated atop a hill overlooking the beautiful 4,000-acre Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, Soka is just two miles from the Pacific Ocean. With fewer than 500 undergraduates and 20 graduate students, all living on campus, SUA is an intimate academic community. Professors lead classes rarely larger than a dozen, fostering critical thinking and a global mindset with open dialogue.
In June 2005, SUA received its accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In 2007, the Calabasas campus was closed and the Graduate School relocated to the Aliso Viejo campus, uniting both programs on one campus for the first time.
In 2007, Soka University joined National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and competed as an independent school starting in 2008. In 2012, SUA joined the California Pacific Conference of the NAIA. SUA students compete against other colleges in soccer, swimming, cross county, track and field, volleyball, and golf.
In 2008, SUA announced the Soka Opportunity Grants, which offer free tuition (room and board fees still apply) for eligible admitted undergraduate students whose families make $60,000 or less a year. In 2023, SUA launched the Soka Opportunity Plan, which increased the income limit to $90,000.
In 2009, SUA began construction on our new 1000-seat Soka Performing Arts Center, which was dedicated on May 27, 2011 with the commencement of the Class of 2011.
About Soka University of America
In 2014, SUA opened a new Master’s Program in Educational Leadership and Societal Change.
Construction on a new science hall and two additional residence halls began in 2018. The Marie and Pierre Curie Hall was dedicated on November 18, 2021, and a new Life Sciences concentration was added in 2020 to support students interested in health-related fields.
Mission of the University
The mission of Soka University of America is to foster a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life.
University Mottos
n Be philosophers of a renaissance of life.
n Be world citizens in solidarity for peace.
n Be the pioneers of a global civilization.
University Principles
n Foster leaders of culture in the community.
n Foster leaders of humanism in society.
n Foster leaders of pacifism in the world.
n Foster leaders for the creative co-existence of nature and humanity.
On the Path of Peace
Song Committee
Verse 1:
The dreams that came before us are engraved in travertine. Let us cherish what is given and embark on this endeavor.
Thousand-colored banners wave amid unceasing winds. As champions of one world, we bear this staff together.
Love shines within those that seek common ground.
Chorus:
Our footsteps in the present will be paths of peace one day. Meeting the eyes of others, humanity embraced. Our hearts create momentum, our hands provide the way.
Verse 2:
Our pen expounds a future, drawing wisdom from within, Forging scholars firm in action, guarding arts of liberty.
The lion’s noble call summons justice to its feet. The roar of our conviction echoes through eternity.
Hope swells within hearts that act despite fear.
Chorus:
Our footsteps in the present will be paths of peace one day. Meeting the eyes of others, humanity embraced. Our hearts create momentum, our hands provide the way. (x 3)
The Light of Hope
lyrics by Daisaku Ikeda music by Daisaku Ikeda and Wayne Green
Verse 1:
In the morning mist courageously I stand Determined to fulfill the dance of my mission. All at once the sun appears above the hill And our campus is bathed in gold.
O LIGHT OF HOPE!
Arise from here Keep shining on Beyond a thousand years!
On every path, in every stone Resides the founding spirit This spirit is my own: For the sake of the people I will study and learn Fearlessly and without cease. And for the world, Create a new future of Happiness for humankind.
It is my earnest vow To climb the steep hill of learning In pursuit of my youthful dreams!
Verse 2:
A determined youth emerges from the earth. The beating pulse of life Grows stronger as we gather, Global citizens uniting here as friends. And triumphant, the day begins.
The Light of Hope continued
THE LIGHT OF HOPE
Here and now it starts As youthful passion Burning in our hearts. No education surpasses that Of trials and hardships, Harsh lessons learned of life. We’ll go into society And do the best we can To shatter the dark of night!
To live a life
Engaged in new construction, Our hearts forever bound as one.
Today we live our vow Creating bridges of dialogue So justice may be done!
Verse 3:
Underneath a shining canopy of stars We ponder the words of thinkers through the ages: “My young friends, I entrust my dreams to you. I am counting on you”
To spread THE LIGHT OF HOPE
Throughout the world
To be the change that finally unfurls The gleaming banner of humanity, The flag of freedom, for all the world to see.
Be philosophers who bring about A renaissance of life!
Open the way for peace!
The
Light of Hope continued
This wounded world Awaits us all
If our courageous hearts will heed the call.
I offer and dedicate to you The pride of an indomitable life Committed to the achievement Of one’s youthful vow.
I offer and dedicate to you THE LIGHT OF HOPE That rises above all hardships And makes every dream come true!
