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The gift and love of language was instilled in Eli Harold ’25 at a young age.

The son of a librarian and a banker, Harold was immersed in words and education from his earliest memories. When he entered elementary school, his parents enrolled him in a Spanish immersion program that made language and learning a way of life.

When he arrived at �鶹ֱ��, that background, combined with some formative study abroad experiences, ingrained his desire to study languages and to pass that love to others. Pursuing a dual languages and cultures major allowed Harold to not only study Spanish but also take on the challenge of learning Japanese.

“I had been learning Spanish since I was 5 years old,” Harold said, “so it was easier to essentially add a third language onto that rather than start from scratch with both of them.”

Harold has not only learned both languages, he has excelled at them. Selected as �鶹ֱ��’s 2025 under�鶹ֱ�� valedictorian, Harold will share about his educational journey as the student keynote speaker during Pacific’s under�鶹ֱ�� commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 17, on Pacific’s Forest Grove Campus.

Mastering one language is challenging enough, let alone becoming fluent in two languages that are structured completely differently. Spanish is a Romance language that utilizes the Arabic alphabet. Japanese is a Japonic dialect that utilizes symbols similar to many languages in Asia. Spanish reads left to right. Japanese reads top to bottom. 

Despite the vast differences, Harold believes that his background in Spanish provided tools that helped make learning Japanese easier.

“One of the main commonalities, and maybe one of the few, is that vowels are pronounced the same in Japanese and Spanish,” Harold said. “So that at least made it easier to hear what was being said and then reproduce it. It’s definitely been a work in progress to figure out what works well for me in learning those languages.”

While Spanish has been a lifelong endeavor, Harold discovered Japanese late in his high school career. An English teacher at Astoria High School introduced Harold to the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (), which recruits teachers to teach foreign languages in Japanese elementary and secondary schools.

His love for the language was deepened further thanks to a job with the Office of International Programs, welcoming exchange students and assisting them during their time at Pacific. In Fall 2023, Harold studied abroad at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies, where he reconnected with Japanese students who studied at Pacific the year before.

In August, Harold will move to Japan to teach in the JET Program, a job that will connect his love for languages to a purpose to educate that was also instilled in him by his librarian mother.

“I really enjoy interacting with kids,” said Harold, who will also �鶹ֱ�� with a minor in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). “I like the idea of being able to have a positive impact on their lives. I am passionate about learning language and I wanted to study in Japan, so it all ended up aligning with what I want to do.”

While Spanish, Japanese and involvement in the Global Scholars Program kept Harold busy academically, he was not too busy to be an active participant in campus life. 

Harold has danced as part of the university’s annual Lūʻau and Hōʻike, sang with the student-led Splendid Audacity vocal ensemble, and played viola for two years in the Pacific Philharmonic Orchestra. He was co-president of the Japan Club and treasurer for both the Spanish Club and Rainbow Co., a campus social group for LGBTQIA+ students and their allies. Harold was also a peer tutor in both Japanese and Spanish in the Center for Learning and Student Success.

Additionally, Harold helped lead Pacific’s international student orientation and, in 2024, interned to help lead Pacific’s New Student Orientation for all incoming students.

In his commencement speech, Harold hopes to express that success at Pacific, and his success in particular, is not just about any one person.

“I am so deeply impressed by everyone at Pacific, so I was surprised that I was named valedictorian,” he said. “I am sure people have said it before, but I wouldn’t be where I am without everybody here. I am super honored to be able to represent my class. I hope they feel the same.”