Kia ora! My name is Katie and I will be acting president of Yamagata AJET for 2021-2022. I am a third-year ALT in Kaminoyama from New Zealand and along with AJET, I also have a role in CCM for the upcoming year. I really love travelling and food, so I love visiting the many hot springs and Japanese inns in Yamagata. From Shonai to Okitama, each area has its own charm and I’m grateful that I live in a place with a diverse variety of food and landscape.

I joined AJET in hopes of supporting our prefecture and reconnecting each community after a year and more of displacement and uncertainty. It is important to make our presence known in our communities and we can do that by supporting local businesses, organisations and events as much as possible while we are here. On top of that, I understand that many of us may feel some degree of separation from one another and especially our home countries. I want to give everyone the opportunity to socialise and learn more about one another, our homes and our cultures. I hope with both my roles in CCM and AJET, I can make things a little better for us so we can enjoy our lives here.

Hi everyone! My name is Tyler and I’m a third year CIR from the United States currently living in Yonezawa. I am also the Okitama Region RA for 2021-22. I love dancing, going to onsen, traveling, and am a big fan of Yonezawa beef!

I’m super excited to join AJET this year and I’m hoping to help make sure that everyone has an exciting and enjoyable time while here in Yamagata. Whether in-person or through online activities, I’m looking forward to meeting and having fun with everyone.