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Alumni Spotlight

Over 4,000 alumni are scattered across the globe, each carrying a piece of their NIS years into whatever they've built since. Their paths look nothing alike — but every one of them started in the same place. Here, we shine a light on a few who've paused to look back and share where the journey has taken them.

You Next...

Know someone whose story deserves a spotlight? Whether it's your own journey or a fellow alumnus', we'd love to hear about it. Contact us at alumni@nis.ac.jp to tell the story.

Yumi (Nagata) Coyte: Long Road to Nagono

From the hallways of NIS to a restored farmhouse in rural Nagano, this alumni's journey has been anything but ordinary. We caught up with Yumi (Nagata) Coyte, Class of 1983, to talk about her time at NIS, the winding road that took her from Tokyo, to Rome, the English countryside, and how she and her husband ended up trading city life for the adventure of reviving a traditional Japanese kominka — complete with a B&B and café.

A smiling woman in a hat and sunglasses pets her happy black dog in the passenger seat of a small truck, with a wooden building visible in the background.

Clay Nishimoto: Life Lessons Learned

Over the nearly five decades since his graduation, Clayton's journey has taken many turns—he has been an engineer, entrepreneur, stock trader, real estate agent, and, for the past 14 years, a high school teacher in Hawaii, where he teaches math and science to students with learning disabilities. In his role as an educator, Clayton strives to make a positive impact on his students, often drawing inspiration from his own experiences. Recently, he found himself reflecting on the enduring influence of the lessons he learned at NIS and how they have shaped his life over the years.

A smiling man in a USA t-shirt takes a selfie with his happy dog in the foreground, while a grassy hill and houses form the background.

Kirk Dixon: Content Producer

A while back, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Kirk Dixon, Class of 2007, to catch up on where life has taken him. Kirk, a proud NIS alumni from K-12, comes from a family closely connected to the school. He’s the nephew of Kazumasa Kondo (’87), a fellow NIS alumnus and now the headmaster of the Nishikawa School of Traditional Japanese Dance, and the son of Keith Dixon, a long-time NIS teacher and the namesake of Dixon Field. For the past seven years, Kirk has been a presenter on NHK’s Sala Sala Salada, a popular noon-time show that shares local insights and information. When we spoke, he had recently stepped down from this position and was excitedly looking toward new adventures.

A smiling man in a blue cap holds a camera with a Rode microphone in the foreground, while a blurred background shows artwork and greenery.

Hannah Kwon: Cross-Platform Journalist

We shine our spotlight this month on Hannah, Class of 2014, who is working as a cross-platform journalist at Australia’s multicultural public broadcaster, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS News) in Sydney.

A woman smiles in the foreground, seated at a desk with audio equipment, while a patterned wallpaper adorns the background.

Rachel Wolff: Country Director of CARE in Nepal

This is an interview with Rachel Wolff, Class of 1993, by fellow alumni, Eimi Olson-Kikuchi, Class of 2015.

These two alumni sat down at their computers on the opposite sides of the world from each other a towards the beginning of the COVID pandemic and had a chat about their involvement with Nepal and their memories of NIS.

A smiling woman stands next to a mother holding her sleeping baby, with a rustic fence and foliage in the background.

Tina Fahy: Marine Biologist

Last year we asked Aya (Hozumi) Rae ('06) to interview fellow alumni,Tina Fahy ('82) because of their similar interests in Marine Biology.

Read on to learn what Tina has been up to…

A woman in a green jacket and sunglasses holds a young sea lion on a sandy beach with rolling hills in the background.

Holly Helt: Entrepereneur

CEO and co-founder of Chiki Tea, Holly, Class of '82, spent four years at NIS (1969-73) and this time had a very positive and long lasting influence on her success as an entrepreneur.

I think deep down, the reason I am so determined to make Chiki Tea a success is to pay homage to Japan for the amazing childhood I had there and for all of the wonderful friends we made.

A group of people stand in a lush green tea field with a bamboo forest and rolling hills in the background under a clear blue sky.

More Coming Soon

Come back soon for more alumni spotlights...