Two Nebraska Wesleyan University graduates will teach in Japan next year.
Jalisa Winkle of Beatrice and Rebecca Boellstroff of South Sioux City have each been accepted to the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. The program, now in its 28th year, is aimed at promoting grassroots international exchange between Japan and other nations. Those accepted teach English in Japanese schools or work in Japanese communities on international exchange activities.
Winkle graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan in 2014 with majors in psychology and Spanish. While at NWU, she took advantage of study abroad experiences in Spain, Mexico, Australia and India. This will be her first visit to Japan.
“I think taking the time to understand where someone else is coming from and how they might view things differently from you is one of the best things to learn as a person,” she said.
Boellstorff also graduated from NWU in 2014, earning a degree in English. This will be her second visit to Japan — the first on September 11, 2001 when she was 9-years-old. She vividly recalls her family watching the news of the terrorist attacks from a U.S. military base in Japan.
“A group of Japanese citizens gathered outside the base and had a support rally for the Americans inside,” she recalled. “That experience really drove home a sense of international community.”
That experience also led to a continued interest in the Japanese culture.
Both students will be assistant language teachers, helping Japanese students with the English language.