QUEBEC
Mimmy Shen | President
Mimmy was a CIR in Tokyo from 2016 to 2020. She worked at the City Office, helping to promote her little corner of Eastern Tokyo to the outside world, while also striving to increase inter-cultural understanding and awareness among the local community. Some highlights from her time in Japan include starting a culture day programme for the city kindergartens, interviewing dozens of small businesses for web articles, and helping to bridge the local non-Japanese community with city officials through Universal Design Urban Development workshops. After 4 years in Tokyo, she is proud to say that she no longer gets lost inside Shinjuku Station all the time.
Mimmy was a CIR in Tokyo from 2016 to 2020. She worked at the City Office, helping to promote her little corner of Eastern Tokyo to the outside world, while also striving to increase inter-cultural understanding and awareness among the local community. Some highlights from her time in Japan include starting a culture day programme for the city kindergartens, interviewing dozens of small businesses for web articles, and helping to bridge the local non-Japanese community with city officials through Universal Design Urban Development workshops. After 4 years in Tokyo, she is proud to say that she no longer gets lost inside Shinjuku Station all the time.
Catherine Lapointe | Vice-President
Catherine was an English Language Teacher in Miyagi prefecture for four years, from 2010 to 2014. She taught at a junior high school, an elementary school and participated in local English classes. She was there during the tsunami and earthquake in 2011. During her free time she enjoyed visiting onsen, temples and shrines, hiking, carrying mikoshi, yosakoi, togei, and muddling through the local dialect.
Catherine Lapointe | Vice-President
Catherine was an English Language Teacher in Miyagi prefecture for four years, from 2010 to 2014. She taught at a junior high school, an elementary school and participated in local English classes. She was there during the tsunami and earthquake in 2011. During her free time she enjoyed visiting onsen, temples and shrines, hiking, carrying mikoshi, yosakoi, togei, and muddling through the local dialect.
Charles-Olivier Harbour | Treasurer
Charles-Olivier was an ALT from 2019 to 2021 in the small town of Susaki in Kochi prefecture. There he taught at a comprehensive senior high school. During his free time, he enjoyed hiking, visiting onsen, playing taiko and learning about the local culture. His stay in Japan was made most memorable by the events he had the chance to part-take in such as a volunteer musical production and two taiko concerts.
Steve Busby | Japan Community Liaison
Fully contributing to the prevalence "every situation is different", Steve was a private school JET in legendary Tokyo from 2018-2020. Incredibly enough, the best memories outside of school were spent WWOOFing in areas outside of Tokyo. Having returned to Montreal in the heart of the pandemic, maintaining ties with the Japanese community has proven to be a challenge. With 2024 bringing the promise of exciting change and growth, he takes on the unique role of Japanese community liaison to help build ties and encourage cross-promotion between groups with similar values and passions (i.e. all things Japan!).
Fully contributing to the prevalence "every situation is different", Steve was a private school JET in legendary Tokyo from 2018-2020. Incredibly enough, the best memories outside of school were spent WWOOFing in areas outside of Tokyo. Having returned to Montreal in the heart of the pandemic, maintaining ties with the Japanese community has proven to be a challenge. With 2024 bringing the promise of exciting change and growth, he takes on the unique role of Japanese community liaison to help build ties and encourage cross-promotion between groups with similar values and passions (i.e. all things Japan!).
Alex Brault | Secretary and Social Media Communications
Alex was an ALT from 2021-2022, placed in the small town of Kunimi in Fukushima prefecture. Alex spent a lot of time helping the girls’ volleyball team and volunteering at the local juku (cram school). Outside of work, they spent time learning calligraphy, Japanese instruments like the koto and shamisen, and studying Japanese. Alex enjoyed a lot of walking around cities and towns, hiking mountains, enjoying new foods, and chatting with locals.
Alex was an ALT from 2021-2022, placed in the small town of Kunimi in Fukushima prefecture. Alex spent a lot of time helping the girls’ volleyball team and volunteering at the local juku (cram school). Outside of work, they spent time learning calligraphy, Japanese instruments like the koto and shamisen, and studying Japanese. Alex enjoyed a lot of walking around cities and towns, hiking mountains, enjoying new foods, and chatting with locals.
Renee Yu | Event Coordinator
Renee was an ALT in Sano, Tochigi, one of the eight land-locked prefectures in Japan, from 2016-2017. During her tenure as an ALT, she coached her students for English contests and debates and helped out with beginner French and Mandarin lessons offered as extracurricular activities at her school. She traveled to all four large islands of Japan and picked up landscape photography as a hobby thanks to this experience. She still maintains her Japanese cultural connection by binge-watching Japanese dramas, listening to J-pop, and keeping a techo.
Renee was an ALT in Sano, Tochigi, one of the eight land-locked prefectures in Japan, from 2016-2017. During her tenure as an ALT, she coached her students for English contests and debates and helped out with beginner French and Mandarin lessons offered as extracurricular activities at her school. She traveled to all four large islands of Japan and picked up landscape photography as a hobby thanks to this experience. She still maintains her Japanese cultural connection by binge-watching Japanese dramas, listening to J-pop, and keeping a techo.
Steven Chham | Photographer
Steven was an ALT from 2021 to 2022 in the silk textile town of Kiryu, in Gunma prefecture. He taught at a junior high school and an elementary school. During his spare time, he enjoys trying funky restaurants, exploring new onsens, shopping at second hand stores, visiting temples, shrines and museums and is a BIG lover of Kirby.
Steven was an ALT from 2021 to 2022 in the silk textile town of Kiryu, in Gunma prefecture. He taught at a junior high school and an elementary school. During his spare time, he enjoys trying funky restaurants, exploring new onsens, shopping at second hand stores, visiting temples, shrines and museums and is a BIG lover of Kirby.
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
Erika Sommerville| Sub-chapter Representative
Erika was a CIR for the Mie Prefectural Government from 2015 to 2017. Under the Diversity Promotion Division, she fulfilled a wide range of roles, from interpreter, event planner, teacher, to writer. Her favourite thing to do in Japan was visiting small towns in her prefecture to check out unique festivals, like Kitsune no Yomeiri (Fox Wedding) and Kumano Fireworks. Her best achievement was learning the art of food parties, like takoyaki parties and nabe parties (something she shares with JET Alums in Halifax)!
Megan Jones | Sub-chapter Vice-Representative
Megan was an ALT in rural Yamagata prefecture for two years, from 2017 to 2019. She taught at two senior high schools and spent most of her weekends exploring the Tohoku region and climbing its many mountains. In her free time, she also enjoyed organizing social events for her fellow JETs as their RA, cooking takoyaki, playing video games and attending every local festival she could find. Originally from Melbourne Australia, Megan joined us here in Atlantic Canada as our resident Aussie after leaving Japan in 2019.
Megan was an ALT in rural Yamagata prefecture for two years, from 2017 to 2019. She taught at two senior high schools and spent most of her weekends exploring the Tohoku region and climbing its many mountains. In her free time, she also enjoyed organizing social events for her fellow JETs as their RA, cooking takoyaki, playing video games and attending every local festival she could find. Originally from Melbourne Australia, Megan joined us here in Atlantic Canada as our resident Aussie after leaving Japan in 2019.
Alex Lacusta | Sub-chapter Treasurer
Alex was a senior high school ALT in rural Yamagata prefecture from 2017 to 2019. During his time in Japan, he enjoyed festival food, climbing Yamagata’s never-ending mountains and coaching his students to speech contest domination (he attended the Tohoku regional speech contest twice). Alex is passionate about video games and always ready for an adventure.
WE WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP!
If you are a member of JETAAQA and would like to volunteer for the Executive Committee, please get in touch with us!
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© 2021-2021 JET Alumni Association Quebec Atlantic
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