Student Profile: Ryan Cramer
??, ?????, salve, hola and hallo! Livonia senior Ryan Cramer is a bona fide polyglot. Since high school, he has been learning how to speak Chinese, Japanese, Latin, Spanish and German.
“I have a huge passion for foreign languages,” he says. “When you study a language, it’s more than just memorization. You also study the history and culture that it came from.”
Japanese culture, in particular, sparked his interest in foreign languages. When his uncle, who worked in Japan, returned from overseas, he brought Cramer stacks of Pokémon cards.
Cramer, who describes himself as an “anime nerd,” was intrigued.
“I became curious about the cards, and I decided to learn Japanese,” he says. “While other languages were interesting, I really wanted to be challenged.”
The international business administration major also is a fan of studying Mandarin Chinese, another language that does not use a Latin alphabet.
“Unlike English letters, Chinese characters paint a picture that denotes meaning,” says Cramer. “When you read the characters, it’s like solving a puzzle, so I really like that about the language.”
In addition to taking Chinese and German classes at Alma College, Cramer is president of the International Club and a member of the Chinese Club. While he may never be a Pokémon master, this future translator has gotta catch ’em all! ????!
