Aiden Farkas
Aiden Farkas
Class Year
’26
Hometown
Santa Rosa, California
Major(s)
Environmental Science and Japanese
Aiden Farkas ’26, a recipient of the Modern Languages Scholarship, came to Carthage because the College gave him the opportunity to study environmental science and Japanese, two areas he is passionate about. He is grateful to his faculty advisors for helping him graduate with two degrees in four years and for providing him with opportunities in his areas of study.
“Faculty in the Environmental Science Department, especially, have been very good about sending out information about internships or other courses for more immersion in the field,” he says.
His short-term career goal is to work in environmental law, and his long-term career goal is to work in international law with an emphasis on environmental agreements.
Why Carthage?
“I choose Carthage because I wanted to major in environmental science outside of an urban center like St. Louis, and being on the lake with modern architecture was appealing. Carthage is also one of two universities (the other being UCLA) to have policy analysis as a concentration. Carthage having a Japanese program was also nice, as I had been learning it through high school but wasn’t sure I’d get to keep studying it in college.”
Faculty mentors
“My major advisors have been very helpful and considerate in recommending courses that will allow me to graduate on time with both majors. Faculty in the Environmental Science Department, especially, have been very good about sending out information about internships or other courses for more immersion in the field. Professor Tracy Gartner, Professor Sarah Rubinfeld, and Professor Yan Wang have all done a lot in helping their respective students succeed.”
Favorite class
“My favorite class has been Japanese because of the Target Language Experts who teach it. They make their classes significantly more enjoyable, and they are very patient with our differences in classroom cultures.”
Toughest class
“Japanese is still considered to be one of the hardest languages in the world. As an already bilingual student (English and Hungarian), I still find learning Japanese to be significantly hard, which is why I believe it will continue to be my toughest class.”
Campus involvement
“I am involved with the Japanese Club, which meets weekly to discuss elements of Japanese culture and hosts a few events such as visits to the Chicago Art Museum and cultural festival. I have also been a part of the Mock Trial team; we traveled to Bloomington and Madison for tournaments presenting a fiction criminal case as lawyers and witnesses.”
Favorite spot on campus
“The Esports Arena, Campbell Student Union, TARC, and my dorm room have been almost my exclusive spots, though I began using the practice rooms in the H. F. Johnson Center for the Fine Arts to practice my violin.”