I first heard of the JET Programme when I was in high school, and I knew it was something I wanted to do. Then while I was interning for the Japan America Society of Minnesota in college, the program was recommended to me, and I started to look into the requirements. I majored in Japanese, but because I wanted to work with children, I decided to become an ALT.
I was placed in Yamaguchi Prefecture and I worked as an Elementary School ALT for three years. It was so rewarding to be some students’ first exposure to a foreign culture, and to teach them about my native language. But our interactions didn’t stop in the classroom. I played with them during recess, ate with them during lunch, and even joined in the brass band as a special guest at the end-of-the year concert. It was an incredible experience; I learned so much, not just about Japan, but about America, and about myself.
After a couple years, I started to think about my life after JET. I wanted experience in translation and interpretation, but didn’t want to leave the JET Programme or the prefecture that I’d come to know and love. I decided to request a transfer to the CIR position at the Yamaguchi Prefectural Office, which was accepted. Now I’m taking on new challenges, such as interpreting for the governor, translating tourism documents, and teaching people all around the prefecture about myself and my country.
The JET Programme has been an influential part of my life, and I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate in it.