What Does the National Council Do?
The AJET National Council works to enhance the lives of JET Programme participants.
We represent your views and concerns to CLAIR and the government ministries that manage the JET Programme. We do so by maintaining a close working relationship with CLAIR throughout the year, highlighted by our face-to-face forums called the AJET-CLAIR-MEXT-MIC-MOFA Opinion Exchange Meeting.
What Does the National Council Do?
The AJET National Council works to enhance the lives of JET Programme participants.
We represent your views and concerns to CLAIR and the government ministries that manage the JET Programme. We do so by maintaining a close working relationship with CLAIR throughout the year, highlighted by our face-to-face forums called the AJET-CLAIR-MEXT-MIC-MOFA Opinion Exchange Meeting.
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Our Projects
What we do
Committed to providing JETs with the best experience
Peer support group hotline
The AJET Peer Support Group is available to call on Microsoft Teams between 8 P.M. and 7 A.M. every night! AJET PSG is a volunteer organization, by and for JETs. PSG is a free listening and referral service, and operates with confidentiality and anonymity. Additionally, PSG is always seeking volunteers.
Providing support to AJET Groups
National AJET supports all regional AJET chapters through block organization and appointing Block Representatives to promote activity and assist in growing their local chapters. National AJET also supports AJET Special Interest Groups in the same manner.
Career and professional consultation sessions
Our consultation sessions are designed to assist JETs with teaching, language education pedagogy and provide assistance to any issues faced in work settings. We also hold career consultation sessions for JETs who would like assistance in finding work post-JET.
We Voice the Opinions and Concerns of JETs
We ask current and former JET Programme participants what issues or concerns they have regarding the JET Programme, we tailor-make a survey that we send out every year for everyone’s responses on those issues and address them to CLAIR and the Japanese government ministries that manage the JET Programme.
Maintaining the AJET Website
This website is all managed by our Webmasters. If you have any articles or found any issues with the website, please email webmaster@ajet.net
National AJET Council
Meet the Council! The team is comprised of volunteer JETs from all across Japan. Our council members come from diverse backgrounds and represent the best of the JET Programme!
Executive Members
Cadely (Kay) Paton
National AJET Chair
Cadely is a third-year JET based in Gunma, who’s passionate about amplifying grassroots voices and creating meaningful connections across cultures.
She is passionate about advocacy, previously serving as Deputy Convener of the Culture and Media Committee in the Scottish Youth Parliament. Furthermore, Cadely is currently a member of JOMOJET, a grassroots group that promotes cultural exchange and community among JETs in Gunma.
When Cadely isn’t volunteering or promoting advocacy, she can be found car camping across Japan! She is also an avid collector of manhole cards!
chair@ajet.net
Carissa Lueth
National AJET Vice-Chair/Block 12 Representative
Carissa is a third-year ALT living in Mimata Town in Miyazaki Prefecture. Hailing from Massachusetts, USA, she wears her Boston Red Sox gear and shares her Dunkin’ obsession with pride. She comes to Japan with 6 years of teaching experience as a high school band and music teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts.
As Block 12 Representative and also a leader in the Miyazaki AJET community, she is passionate about connecting local Japanese and foreign communities, and creating and attending language and cultural exchange opportunities throughout Miyazaki. Along with this, she is incredibly passionate about advocating for women in fitness. In Kyushu, she holds 1st place for heaviest strict curl in 2025 and in 2026 placed #4 in Japan. She believes that fitness is for everyone!
When she’s not promoting community and cultural exchange, you can find her pumping iron at the gym, playing trombone at jazz and pop band rehearsals, studying Japanese, or traveling around Japan and Asia to see various beatboxing competitions.
vice@ajet.net
Blair Nackley
Secretary
Blair is a third-year ALT from the United States currently teaching in Niigata Prefecture. Blair’s dream of visiting Japan started at eight years old after watching a vlog about cafes in Tokyo. In her third year of university, she had the opportunity to make that dream a reality and studied abroad at Temple University’s Japan campus. It was there she fell in love with the country and decided to return as a JET participant.
A media studies graduate, Blair has written research on translation methods used for overseas media, specifically English releases of Studio Ghibli films. She is passionate about forming connections beyond borders and increasing accessibility to global content. In her free time, you can find Blair collecting goshuin, visiting onsens, or taking ikebana classes.
In addition to AJET Secretary, she also serves as regional advisor of Joetsu City.
secretary@ajet.net
Non-Executive Members
Bobby N.
Director of Research
Bobby is a second-year ALT from the San Francisco Bay Area who recently graduated with a Masters in Teaching English from San Francisco State University. His passion for language and culture has led him to volunteer within State Department cultural exchanges and international student programs.
He enjoys presenting his research at various conferences which involves helping students transition into higher education and become lifelong language learners. You can see more from Bobby at Good Morning Aomori, a long standing JET run publication in addition to his work writing for USJETAAs Senpai Spotlight.
bobby@ajet.net
Hannah Fulton
Co-Director of Social Media
Hannah is a third-year ALT from Northern California placed in Gunma.
Hannah graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay in May 2024 with a B.A. in Japanese Language & Culture, and a minor in Visual & Public Art. While an undergrad student, she was able to study abroad at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto for 1 year. This amazing experience greatly influenced her to return to Japan as a JET ALT.
She enjoys reading, drawing, anime, video games, hiking, yoga, traveling, and trying new foods! She is greatly looking forward to supporting the AJET community as this year’s Co-Director of Social Media!
hannah@ajet.net
Meg Godinez
Co-Director of Social Media/Block 7 Representative
Meg is a first-year ALT from New York City who graduated in 2024 from NYC’s first established Japanese program at CUNY Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese and Japanese Culture as well as a degree in Studio Art. She also worked as an overall media staff for the Consulate General of Japan in New York before being placed in Shiga as an ALT.
Meg is passionate about cross-cultural experiences and has been an active volunteer in many local events promoting Japanese culture in New York City. In joining AJET as the Social Media Co-Director and Block 7 representative, she aspires to foster more community between the greater Kansai regions and grow exchange through media.
Outside her aspirations, Meg is a big collector of cute things, and has a big spot for plushies, dolls, and anything pink! She is also a self-proclaimed fashionista and an amateur runner.
Meg is looking forward to serving everyone with her skills and input from her expertise in yapping, designing and bringing the vibes!
communications@ajet.net
Karl Gaurano
Co-Director of Professional and Educational Development
Karl is a fourth-year JET (5th year starting August), who has been part of the international academic community for almost 20 years. He also has an extensive background in video and music production back in the Philippines. His fascination with Japan started when he had his first karate lesson in middle school. His interest deepened when he studied Japanese history and lore in high school.
As Co-Director of Professional and Educational Development, Karl is looking forward to helping everyone cultivate new skills to further their careers.
You can find him studying Nihongo; hunting for rare toys, manga, and comic books; or working on one of his numerous other hobbies in his spare time.
karl@ajet.net
Nadia Perdue
Project Manager
Nadia Perdue is a third-year ALT in Takasaki City, Gunma prefecture.
She’s a self-proclaimed “midwestern girly”: born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, she subsequently moved to Indiana for high school, before eventually heading to St. Louis, Missouri for undergrad. While in university she heavily pursued her passion for music. She was an active member of her a cappella group, even participating in the Kyoto University Choir during her semester abroad.
Outside of the classroom, Nadia enjoys listening to and creating music, cooking Indian food, and playing games, particularly from the Final Fantasy series. She is looking forward to serving as a Project Manager for AJET and using her skills to help contribute to the JET community in any way possible!
nadia@ajet.net
Evie Ferguson
Project Manager
Evie is an ALT in Gunma going into her fifth year in Japan. She was born in Sydney, Australia and moved to New Zealand in high school. She is involved with the ALT community through Gunma AJET and JOMO JET.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, coding, and fiber arts like knitting and crochet. On a long weekend, she can probably be found at Tokyo Disney. She’s recently taken up kitsuke lessons, and her wallet is starting to hurt from all the beautiful kimono out there.
evie@ajet.net
Ethan Tam
Director of Alumni Relations
Ethan Tam is the Director of Alumni Partnerships for AJET and a second-year ALT in Osaka Prefecture. Ethan is originally from Los Angeles, California.
Outside of AJET, Ethan enjoys pottery, writing stand-up, learning volleyball, going to the gym, and helping develop the stand-up comedy scene in Kansai.
alumni.relations@ajet.net
Dan Luo
Co-Director of Translation & Interpretation
Dan is entering his first year as a CIR in Niigata Prefecture. He hails from Milpitas, California.
As is stereotypical of people living in Silicon Valley, Dan first studied computer science and worked as a software engineer for a year before pivoting to Japanese and translation. He then worked in manga localization and on light novels as a freelance translator.
As Co-Director of Translation and Interpretation, Dan hopes to serve as a resource for JETs wanting to learn about Japanese or translation, and he hopes to help facilitate communications between AJET and the various Japanese institutions it works with.
dan@ajet.net
Carlos Chichiri
Co-Director of Translation & Interpretation
Carlos Chichiri is a first-year CIR based in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Born in Los Angeles, California, he was surrounded by various cultures growing up. His interest in the Japanese language began in his first year of university. Since then, his unwavering passion for language led him to various opportunities involving Japanese culture, including volunteering as head-organizer for a local Japanese language and cultural exchange group for nearly 10 years and gaining experience as a translator and interpreter.
He has various hobbies, but especially enjoys reading, gaming, going to cafes, playing guitar, and going to the gym. He studies Japanese nearly every day and is currently aiming for Kanji Kentei Pre-1 certification, as well as other Japanese language qualifications.
As Director of Translation and Interpretation, he aims to be a bridge between Japanese and English speakers by smoothing out information flow, as well as strengthening intercultural communication and understanding.
carlos@ajet.net
Bernice Cheung
Director of Branding & Content
Bernice is a third-year ALT who ventured to Kobe, Hyogo, via polar bear from Ottawa, Canada. With a specialist in visual cultures and communications, she is passionate about art and design; often found illustrating with one hand, and a sweet treat in the other. Despite being an English teacher, Bernice believes that good design is the most effective language.
When she is not fulfilling her AJET duties, she can be found completing side-quests: off in the mountains hiking, at the gym, or unlocking a new area of the globe through her travels. She also loves to jam out on her bass guitar and cook up a storm in her tiny kitchen.
She is looking forward to connecting and supporting JETs through social media and design!
bernice@ajet.net
Charlie Mellow
Director of Community Relations
Charlie is entering her second-year as an ALT in Nara prefecture. She is from a small village in Wiltshire, UK. Recently, she graduated from Queen Mary University of London with a B.A. in politics and international Relations, so she is very passionate about discussing anything world politics! During university, she studied abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo. There she developed a curiosity for life in Japan leading to her return as a JET in 2025.
During her free time, you can find her in a cafe somewhere in Nara set on her mission to find the best coffee in the local area. She also enjoys cycling and baking, as well as collecting trinkets to try and make her flat feel more like home.
She is very much looking forward to her new role and connecting as many people as she can.
charlie@ajet.net
Cristian Valdez
Webmaster
Cristian is a fifth-year JET originally from Southern California, graduated from Cal State San Bernardino with a degree in Computer Systems before promptly joining the JET program. He was then placed in Takko machi, Aomori.
In his free time, he enjoys building keyboards and tinkering with retro electronics, creating engaging English computer games for his students, cycling across the countryside, and hitting the gym daily for weight training. He has also joined the local ceramics and traditional dance club, and is working on starting a cooking class to teach locals about foreign foods. Cristian looks forward to fulfilling AJET’s technical needs as webmaster for the 2026-2027 year.
cristian@ajet.net
cristianvaldez.jp
Coby Sena
CIR Representative
Coby is a 3rd year American JET in Kochi Prefecture. For his first 2 years he worked as the CIR for Kitagawa Village, where he involved himself in local groups like Taiko and Calligraphy. For his 3rd year, he was given the opportunity to transfer to the Prefectural Office in Kochi City to work as a CIR for the International Affairs Division.
Growing up in a military family, Coby has had the opportunity to live in a number of places. He was born in Germany, lived in states like Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and Georgia before moving to Italy and Poland for several years. His father retired to live in Montana, where Coby finished high school and attended college. Prior to the JET Program, he also attended Waseda University as an exchange student for a year.
Coby hopes to use the experiences offered by having been in multiple placements as well as his experiences abroad to be an advocate for CIRs all across the country.
coby@ajet.net
Block Representatives
Osama Omar
Block 2 Representative
Osama Omar is a fourth-year JET from the Aizu Region, of Fukushima Prefecture. Although he is a Canadian from Toronto, ON – He was born in Bangladesh and raised in Japan, having lived 15+ childhood years in Miyazaki and Shimane, completing his Japanese elementary school graduation here.
Osama also serves as the Advisor and Coordinator for International Relations (CIR) for the Yanaizu International Association, which he helped to establish. He also serves as the Area Support Leader (ASL) for the Aizu Region, appointed by the Fukushima Prefectural Government.
He is a proud University of Toronto Alumni, having served in Executive Directorship for The UofT Japan Association and liaison with the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto.
In his free time, Osama enjoys cooking, running and playing soccer as an avid ChelseaFC Fan. He also loves travelling across Japan with his wife and daughter, while running a Food Truck business with his friend.
Through NAJET, he hopes to create a supportive community and foster meaningful partnerships by taking Japan to the world.
block2@ajet.net
Frederick Azechi
Block 6 Representative
Frederick is an American fifth-year ALT from Southern California. He lived and worked in Kaga, Ishikawa for three years before moving to Takaoka, Toyama. When he’s not volunteering in the community, he enjoys traveling around Japan and abroad. He also studies and teaches chess. You can sometimes find him around Toyama participating in events and community lessons.
As Block 6 Representative, he hopes to give back to the community by creating a sense of connection between Toyama, Ishikawa, and Fukui through open channels of communication and facilitating social events. If you’re looking for more information on happenings or if you have any questions about the area, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
In addition to volunteering as Block 6 Rep, he serves as a Support Representative for Takaoka city and as Toyama AJET Chapter President. He also contributes to the AJET Connect magazine as a writer.
block6@ajet.net
Simon Jensen
Block 8 Representative
Simon is a third-year CIR from Sydney, Australia based in Tottori Prefecture. He is also one of the Prefectural Advisors for Tottori. He has a passion for history, including the Sengoku-jidai and Genpei War.
block8@ajet.net
Zane Sereda
Block 9 Representative
Zane is a second-year ALT from Canada currently living in Kochi Prefecture. Along with serving as the Block 9 Representative, he is a prefectural advisor for Kochi, as well as a Kochi Regional AJET Chapter Representative. In his free time… wait, he has free time?
During his tenure he hopes to foster and nurture a strong relationship for connecting the four island prefectures into one big community; uniting the regional, prefectural, and national JET systems together.
block9@ajet.net
Currently Vacant Positions
Executive Members
- Treasurer
Non-Executive Members
- Webmaster
Block Representatives
- Block 1 Representative (Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Iwate)
- Block 3 Representative (Niigata, Nagano, Gunma)
- Block 5 Representative (Shizuoka, Gifu, Aichi, Mie)
- Block 10 Representative (Shimane, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi)
- Block 11 Representative (Oita, Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki)
Please contact elections@ajet.net to apply.
