こんにちは！My fifth interviewee currently lives in the suburbs of Kyoto, hence the picture of the Golden Temple. I visited the temple six years ago and thought it was one of the most beautiful buildings I had ever seen. Kyoto is such a lovely city and filled with rich history and cultural significance.

I actually met this interviewee at Wellesley, as she was my Japan Club senpai (senior). Since graduation, she was accepted into the Japan English Teaching program (JET). JET sends foreigners to teach English across Japan. I have been a tutor for many years and have always had an interest in education, and I plan on applying to the JET program in the future. Therefore, I was quite excited to speak with this interviewee about her experiences as a JET teacher!

Overall, the alumna has really enjoyed her experiences in JET and living in Japan. She teaches in multiple middle schools in the city, and has made connections with her fellow teachers and students. While she was initially a bit daunted by the language barrier, she has adapted and feels like her speaking and listening abilities in Japanese have improved greatly. The only negative aspects of her experience were centered around being a foreigner, and the sense of otherness that comes with being a non-Japanese person in Japan. However, overall, she feels that she has gained a lot from this experience and would recommend JET to others.

I would like to thank this alumna again for sharing her time and experiences with me. ありがとうございます！