Anna Lenartova has long been captivated by Japanese art and culture, but this February, her hard work in studying the language was royally rewarded when she met Her Imperial Highness, Princess Takamado of Japan.

Shaler might not be the first place you’d link with Japan, but Lenartova found Japanese art early on, and was able to follow her passions with the help of Shaler Area High School’s language program. “I really fell in love with Japanese ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) from a very young age,” she observes, “and from there I discovered the many other art forms that are unique to Japan, from sumi-e (ink painting) to cultural arts such as tea ceremony and calligraphy.” With interest sparked, Lenartova was impressed to find SAHS offered Japanese language classes, and happily signed up.

Amidst the usual verbs and vocabulary, Japanese teacher Steve Balsomico opened a door of terrifying opportunity for Lenartova in junior year — a Japanese speech competition at The Japan American Society of Pennsylvania’s yearly festival. The speech topic on Japanese art forms was already a favorite, but she wasn’t feeling confident. “I have always had very bad public speaking anxiety, and since participation in the speech contest was not mandatory that year, I very nearly chose not to go. However, with the encouragement of my teacher, Mr. Balsomico, I decided to give it my best try,” she recounts. The hours of studying paid off, and she came away the winner! Senior year, she braved the podium and won again, orating on a popular 60s crooner-era song, “Ue O Muite Arukou.”

As a result of her efforts at the JASP competition, Lenartova was connected with a cultural exchange group, the Kakehashi Program. Participants traveled to Japan this February to meet fellow students and build bridges of connection. Lenartova thoroughly enjoyed meeting local residents, recalling, “The family I stayed with was so kind and it provided a rare opportunity to experience everyday life in Japan as opposed to more tourist activities. It was wonderful to be able to practice my Japanese with native speakers, play games, and visit lesser-known locations.”

But of course, one of the biggest highlights of Lenartova’s trip was the visit paid to Princess Takamado. “I honestly couldn’t believe it when I saw it on the schedule,” she remarks, “and I still feel incredibly lucky to have been given the chance to meet royalty.” The Kakehashi Project students brought cultural and international relations questions to the Princess. “She was a very impressive and eloquent person,” Lenartova says, placing “emphasis on cultural understanding over language proficiency.” The princess is also a professor at Osaka University of the Arts, and espoused “a perspective on language being only one vessel for connection among many” that struck a chord for Lenartova. Her fire fueled by this royal perspective, Lenartova returned home “inspired to focus more of my energy on pursuing the things that originally drew me to Japan.” She is well on her way to this goal, currently studying at Penn State with a dual-major in Art History and Comparative Literature, and a minor in Japanese. She has post-graduate hopes to attend law school as well. But wherever she goes next, Anna Lenartova’s perspective will always hold a glimmer of her royal experience.