Every Saint Has a Story: Cristian Spariosu '23

Jun 5, 2026

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As the plane took off from Osaka and Japan quickly disappeared behind him, Cristian Spariosu '23 knew in his heart he would one day, somehow find his way back. He just didn't expect to be starring in a German documentary first.

Spariosu's many complaints to his landlord over many months went ignored. By then, life felt mundane, not at all the exhilarating, mind-opening experience he lived in Japan while studying abroad during his final semester. Two years had passed since then, and Spariosu felt like he was searching. Searching for what? He wasn't sure.

Spariosu first worked as a paralegal, but he hated it. He quit that job, bummed around Europe by himself for a bit, and then came home to Queens and took a job as a manager at his neighborhood gym. It was fine, but not fulfilling. And now his roof was badly leaking and nobody seemed to care. In a move that he assumed was futile desperation, Spariosu reached out to his state assemblyman's office. The very next day, an inspector came, found the landlord at fault, and soon, the roof was fixed.

For the first time in his life, Spariosu felt seen by a public servant. As it turns out, Spariosu's assemblyman at the time, a democratic socialist, had just launched a longshot bid to be mayor of New York City. Months earlier, Spariosu cast a ballot for Donald Trump. Now he was appearing on an MS Now segment alongside his new friend, Zohran Mamdani.

Spariosu's first-hand account of his U-turn pivot toward Mamdani is featured in a More Perfect Union video that's been viewed 1.5 million times. In the video, Spariosu reflects on how his time in Japan changed his perspective on politics and lays out the conservatives' case for a democratic socialist. German broadcaster ARD is interested in telling the same story, and in August, Spariosu will be a central character in the international documentary. His notoriety also landed him a role, as a pilot (above, right), in a pilot episode for a sitcom with the working title Beer Garden. A destination and date for the episode is still to be determined, but when the doc and sitcom do premiere, Spariosu might not have access. He'll be living in a remote island in the Sea of Japan.

The JET (Japanese Exchange and Teaching) Program is the only teaching exchange program managed by the Japanese government. It offers top-tier benefits - like subsidized housing, paid airfare, and a strong salary - which makes it one of the most coveted ways to teach English in Japan. The program has an acceptance rate of 20 percent; Spariosu will start on July 25.

"One day while I was studying in Japan, a woman, who was a complete stranger, approached me with her four-year-old son. She asked if I was American and spoke English. When I said 'yes,' she offered me a job teaching her son in English. I went to her house and got to connect with the family and their culture while I tutored her son. That experience changed my heart. I realized you can make a boatload of money and be miserable, but giving back to the community is a way to find meaning."

That opportunity planted the seed, but he needed a push. It came from his unexpected experience with a leaky ceiling and the new mayor of NYC. Spariosu has spent the past few months as an advocate for affordable housing. Next, he looks forward to being one of a handful of Americans teaching English to Japanese children on Sado Island. He's traveling on a one-year contract, but the visa is valid for three years. The program invests heavily in its teachers, and there's often the opportunity to stay.

"One way or another, I have the goal of staying in Japan. It was a higher power that pointed me toward Japan my senior year. I feel a connection to the country, and I'm just so excited to be going back."

Spariosu also credits the role Siena has played in his journey, specifically mentors like Aaron Pacitti, Ph.D., and Matthew Davis, Ph.D., both professors of economics. Daniel Lewis, Ph.D., professor of political science, urged Spariosu to study abroad, and Abi Cavazos, Ed.D, director of study abroad and international student services, steered him toward Japan.

"At Siena, I got more in touch with my faith in a higher power. St. Francis was an altruistic person. When I was a freshman, I didn't understand the point of taking a religion class, but you don't need to practice religion to practice meditation and connect with people and the world around you. I think there's a lot of overlap between Franciscan values and Buddhist values...

...St. Francis would have really liked Japan."