Mentor of the Year: Yumi Araki
Yumi Araki is the managing producer of podcasts at America's Test Kitchen where she produces the award-winning podcast, Proof. She previously reported and hosted Deciphering Japan, a four-part docuseries that explores current events in her home country. Before that, she reported on domestic and international news for NPR’s On Point and managed the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ policy podcasts. She began her career covering U.S.-Japan relations, economics, and the 2016 election for The Yomiuri Shimbun’s Washington D.C. bureau. Yumi is a proud VOICES alumna and a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and Boston University’s College of Communication. Yumi is a certified sake adviser and a devoted cat mom.
ABOUT THE RECIPIENT: To learn why Yumi Araki was named AAJA’s Mentor of the Year, ask her mentees:
"She provided really helpful advice, was always available to meet and made sure to keep us on a schedule, and checked in to ensure that we could shape our meetings around what was most helpful,” one said. “I really appreciated having her support through navigating a job interview, a role change at work, and exploring new opportunities. We’re still meeting and I definitely plan to keep in touch!"
From another mentee, "My experience was incredible! Yumi went above and beyond on all fronts to make me feel supported. She was the most helpful and kind mentor I could have asked for. I was beginning my job search when we were paired, so we met biweekly to go over cover letters and resumes until I got a job. She also helped me get grant money that I had won the year prior, but still hadn't received."