CONWAY, Ark. (May 23, 2018) – A long-term, cross-cultural
adventure is in store for three 2018 Hendrix College graduates. On August 3,
they’ll convene in Nashville to begin their training. The next day, they’ll fly
to Tokyo to complete the process of becoming Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs)
in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. JET is highly selective, with
4,000 to 5,000 applicants competing for approximately 1,000 positions in
communities throughout Japan.
Lena Pham of Fort Smith, Ark., Pete
Wills of Memphis, Tenn., and Laela Zaidi of Joplin, Mo., will report to their
assigned locations in Japan for a minimum of one year, with the option to
extend their contracts for up to five years.
In addition to their roles as
teachers, the trio will have ample opportunities to learn – though the work
required before and during the application process meant their learning began
some time ago. Pham, Wills, and Zaidi all took a Japanese language class with
Gwen Stockwell, director of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and
International Student Services for Hendrix. They all used the language-learning
app Duolingo to stay sharp on their Japanese vocabulary. And both Pham and Wills
also attended a semester’s worth of weekly tutoring sessions with Aya Murata,
who spent the past two years at Hendrix as a coordinator for the Japan Outreach
Initiative.
“We’ve all worked to learn as much
as we can in advance, but being immersed in Japanese language and culture
long-term will offer an experience that we just can’t get in the U.S.,” said
Wills, a biology major/psychology minor who graduated cum laude with
distinction. Following the training in Tokyo, he will report to Kagoshima
Prefecture to begin teaching.
Their cultural awareness also has
increased thanks to Murata’s presence on campus and the programs she has
provided. More opportunities to interact with Japanese citizens came in the
Spring semester, when the campus hosted students associated with the Kakehashi
Project, and Pham took part in a reciprocal visit to Japan alongside fellow
Hendrix students and staff.
Though they didn’t know at the time
of the Kakehashi Project visits that they would be accepted to the JET Program,
they made the most of their time interacting with their Japanese peers. “It
definitely motivated us to prepare and give it our all throughout the interview
process,” said Zaidi, a religious studies major who graduated magna cum
laude with distinction. She has been assigned to teach in the city of
Ozu-shi in the Ehime Prefecture.
By living and working in Japanese
communities, JET Program participants will represent the United States as
cultural ambassadors and help to promote intercultural exchange and
understanding.
“I am looking forward to bonding
with students in the classroom and exploring everything that Japan has to offer,”
said Pham, an anthropology major/Asian studies minor who graduated summa cum
laude with distinction. Her placement with JET is Shizuoka-shi in the
Shizuoka Prefecture.
About the JET Program
The JET Program is a competitive employment opportunity that allows
young professionals to live and work in cities, towns, and villages throughout
Japan. Most participants serve as Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) and work
in public and private schools throughout Japan; some work as Coordinators for
International Relations (CIRs) as interpreters/translators. Since the JET
Program was founded in 1987, more than 61,000 global participants (including
nearly 32,000 Americans) have worked in schools, boards of education, and
government offices throughout Japan.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College
consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts
institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools
That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and
rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous
college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been
affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.