Kohtaro Kosugiyama is a sophomore in GLS. He identifies as a Japanese cisgender man. He comes from a socioeconomic background that he considers high in Japan — where he grew up for part of his life — but middle-class compared to other NYU students. He is not religious but considers himself spiritual, having been influenced by a variety of religions, including Shinto, Buddhism, and Baptist Christianity. In Japan, Kosugiyama explained that he felt that he was unable to share his opinions. After moving to Canada for international boarding school, he felt empowered in being able to express himself. He notes that his time spent in Canada and now in the United States made him realize that he’s an Asian male, primarily because Canada and the United States are not as homogeneous as Japan.