Meet Ryan, one of Legacy Tree Genealogists talented project managers!
Ryan Rockwood’s interest in the genealogy industry began when while living in Japan he saw how a deep reverence for and understanding of one’s ancestors can literally change people’s lives. This interest sprang into a career goal when he noticed how people of Asian descent had far fewer genealogical resources than those of other nationalities.
In an attempt to address this need, Ryan received a bachelor’s degree in Japanese from Brigham Young University with minors in Family History and International Business. While attending Brigham Young University he completed a number of internships that pushed him closer to his goal of helping those of Japanese descent with their genealogy. He was a Global Experience Operations Intern for FamilySearch, spending a portion of the internship in their Tokyo office where he assisted patrons all over Japan. He loved the opportunity to help people of all ages and experience levels discover and connect with their ancestors. Ryan also interned in the Brigham Young University Center for Family History and Genealogy where he worked on the Nauvoo Project, an initiative focused on tracking pioneers who lived in Nauvoo during the journey West. At the same time, he worked in the Brigham Young University Record Linking Lab, a lab focused on using AI and machine learning to assist in genealogical research. Although the emphases in these jobs were wildly different than that of his past internship in Japan, Ryan was grateful for the opportunity to broaden his understanding and experience in the industry. Finally, Ryan was accepted on grant and scholarship to intern simultaneously at the Hawai’i State Archives and with the Pacific Collection at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Library in order to work with their Japanese and Asia Pacific records. These internships were both unfortunately canceled due to travel restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In his academic pursuits, Ryan has appreciated the opportunity to research Japanese migration on the macro and micro levels. He especially enjoyed researching the life and family of Seito Saibara, a Japanese pioneer who established a Christian colony in Eastern Texas in the early 1900s.
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