6.4.25

Study abroad experience creates path for alum’s career

By Lily Parker ’23/25

When Alex Limon ’24 embarked on a study-abroad experience to Osaka, Japan, during his junior year at Wichita State, he had no way of knowing what a life-changing excursion it would be, one that would continue to open doors for him after graduation.

In fact, at first, it was a rather intimidating venture.

“When you study abroad, there are so many unknowns,” the engineering grad said. “Living in a new place, not knowing the language or the people, even things as simple as where the grocery store is – all those factors can feel pretty uncomfortable.”

But, after embracing the initial discomfort, Limon fell in love with the city of Osaka. Studying at Kansai Gaidai University, Wichita State’s exchange partner university, he began to pick up on the language and customs of Japanese culture.

After a year abroad, Limon returned to Wichita to finish his bachelor’s degree in engineering. However, his time in Japan was far from over. “After graduating, I received an email from Kansai Gaidai University notifying me that the U.S. Department of State was looking for youth ambassadors to represent the U.S. at the World EXPO 2025,” he says.

Limon applied and was accepted as a full-term docent for the U.S. Pavilion at the 2025 exposition, hosted in Osaka – the very city in which he lived for a year. With the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” the 2025 world exposition invites more than 150 countries to share their innovations and foster a global community.

As a youth ambassador, Limon takes pride in his ability to represent his country to EXPO’s many visitors from around the world. “When I can high-five a kid and see them smile, or give a couple advice on where to take their honeymoon, it’s those kinds of interactions that make this experience truly special,” he says. “I consider myself beyond fortunate that the stars aligned for me.”

But, he recognizes that the stars didn’t align randomly. Limon credits his alma mater with “opening doors, directly and indirectly” to this next step in his career. “I only learned about this position because I was able to study abroad during my time at Wichita State,” he says. “And because I studied abroad, I gained the skills and confidence to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Limon isn’t certain what the future holds after EXPO, but is confident an opportunity will present itself, whether as an ambassador in future world’s fairs or as an English teacher in Japan. “I am where I am now, and loving it, because I was given the chance to push myself out of my comfort zone as a student,” he said. “You just never know how different things could be for you two or three years down the road because you took that chance when it was given to you.”