Alumni Spotlight
There are over 4,000 alumni and former students spread throughout the world who are having an impact in their local and global communities. Here, we hope to regularly focus on a few who have taken time to share stories about their journeys after NIS!
Latest Spotlight . . .
Clay Nishimoto: Life Lessons Learned
Clay with his nephew's dog Loki
Clayton Nishimoto, a proud alumni of the Nagoya International School Class of 1977, reflects on the profound life lessons he gained during his time at NIS.
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.
This is what he had to say...
In March of 1974, my family moved to Nagoya from Kent, Washington, while I was still in the ninth grade. At first, I was not happy at all to be moving to Japan, although it was my heritage. I had a few close friends I did not want to leave, and there was no internet or convenient way of keeping in touch. Writing letters took at least a week to get to an overseas destination, and international phone calls were very expensive.
Clay and his sisters: Cynthia, Colleen, and Christy
Baseball season for my junior high school was just beginning, and I was the school’s starting shortstop and pitcher. I was really looking forward to the season as my growth spurt was just taking hold. In a social setting where I grew up — 95% white neighborhood — I learned that the only way to earn any respect was through sports. I did not allow being Asian and younger/smaller than most of my classmates to stop me from being competitive in almost all the sports I participated in. I was not happy at all to leave!
When I first arrived in Japan, it was actually a culture shock. Even though I went from being on the small side to above-average size, I felt frustrated because I could not speak or understand the language. I also did not appreciate all the shocked looks on Japanese faces when they tried to communicate with me, but I could not respond appropriately. It is ironic, but I felt more like a minority in Japan than I did in America.
It was a relief to attend NIS because mostly everyone spoke fluent English, and I did not feel too out of place. To balance my extreme disappointment at hearing that the school did not have a baseball team—especially since there were two ex-Major League Baseball players staying in my apartment complex—I was very surprised to see pretty Asian girls, which I had never seen before (but that’s another story!). NIS also had a basketball team, my second favorite sport, although we had to play in the parking lot as the new gym was not built yet. The second thing I noticed about NIS students was how long the hair was on most of the guys, especially those on the basketball team. They all looked like hippies, about ten years behind the hairstyles in the US. Having a short haircut most of my life, I could not believe my parents allowed me to grow out my hair too! With a homemade headband (yukata belt), I looked like an American Indian on a warpath my sophomore year. I always crack up when I look at the yearbook pictures from that year—as well as my son.
The Basketball Team with Coach Murphy. Clay-center with his signature headband.
My first life lesson I can remember was delivered by my basketball coach, Mr. Murphy. At the end of the season, there was an awards banquet where we all were supposed to go to a nice restaurant to celebrate one evening. I saw this as a rare opportunity to go to the movies with my girlfriend, and we skipped the banquet. Apparently, I won an unexpected award, and when I next saw Mr. Murphy, he really gave me a stern lecture on how irresponsible I was and how I showed disrespect to him and the team. I was very ashamed and learned the lesson about putting the team first before individual desires.
During my junior year, NIS brought in four new teachers: Mr. Aliferis, Mr. Hackett, Mr. Selby, and Mr. Kehoe. While they were all great teachers, the first three were also very social with the students. Mr. Aliferis had a nice motorcycle, and many of us also rode motorcycles, so we would go on road trips to either Nojiri or Tokyo now and then. James Steenberg and I would have two-on-two basketball matches against Mr. Hackett and Mr. Selby often after school in the new gym. And every once in a while, we would all play low-stakes poker that was fun and character-building.
I am not sure if this is a life lesson, but what I learned the most from Mr. Aliferis was how to write the perfect paragraph. It was like the scene from the movie A River Runs Through It, where a pastor homeschools his sons and has the eldest write and rewrite an essay until it was perfect before he was allowed to go fishing with his brother (Brad Pitt). When I finally wrote a paragraph that satisfied Mr. Aliferis, he wrote a note saying, “Yes!!! You are capable of getting straight A’s!” I told him later, after getting a B+ in his Japanese History class, that I got A’s in all my other classes that semester. Still, to this day, I appreciate him holding me to a higher standard academically. Thank you, Mr. Aliferis!
In Mr. Hackett’s Group Dynamics class, he cautioned us about “groupthink” and explained that it was very difficult to change that type of thinking because people in such groups only want to listen to opinions that agree with them and shun any information that does not support it. Nowadays, in teaching my Statistics class, we delve into bias in its many forms and how much of statistical data is biased toward whatever outcome the presenter desires. Confirmation bias is prevalent in social media, and “groupthink” behavior is a major reason why the US is currently divided socially and politically. It is amazing to me how applicable what I learned 50 years ago is happening before my eyes in the present day. After watching such documentaries as The Social Dilemma and Coded Bias on Netflix, it is scary how technology is used to promote biased thinking. Thank you, Mr. Hackett!
For some reason, I was selected, along with Kara Doughty, by Mr. Selby to give a speech in English to over 2,000 Japanese high school students. Talk about being thrown into the deep end of the pool—I was terrified. On top of that, the topic of the speech I had to write and deliver was “The Academic System of America,” after Kara’s speech on being a cheerleader! Mine must have been the most boring speech, and the only thing I remember is how I ended it. I kind of froze and, like Walter Cronkite, a famous newscaster, blurted out, “And that’s the way it is. Thank you!” Mr. Selby always gave me a ribbing about it, especially to throw me off my game during our two-on-two basketball matches. However, in some strange way, I was never too nervous after that to give a speech in front of a large crowd or teach a classroom of high school students. Thank you, Mr. Selby!
This life lesson is often a story I tell when people ask me why I became a teacher of learning-disabled students. Also, in my junior year, I was taking Calculus with three other seniors with Mr. Kehoe. While I was confident in my math skills and not intimidated by being the only junior in the class, I was quite upset when I struggled with one of the topics. I am not blaming Mr. Kehoe because the other students seemed to understand the material, but I was so frustrated one day that I went to see Mr. Guthrie, my sophomore math teacher, during lunch to seek help. In just 30 minutes, Mr. Guthrie was able to explain to me how to approach the math problem in a way where everything just seemed to click. I learned that day that there was more than one way to teach, depending on how each student understands a concept. For the most part, that is what teaching learning-disabled students is all about. Finding a different way to teach a topic such as math or science is my main task. When I see a learning-disabled student finally understand a concept and their eyes light up, it always reminds me of my own experience with Mr. Guthrie. As it turned out, I did well for the rest of the class, and during my senior year, I independently took AP Calculus, the first NIS student to do so. Thank you, Mr. Guthrie and Mr. Kehoe!
During my senior year, James and I, two of the big shots on campus, were taught a huge life lesson by Mr. Steenberg, James’ father. While he was not a teacher, Mr. Steenberg was a very respected figure at NIS. One day, while James and I were walking through the school’s parking lot, there was an elderly lady carrying some bags toward the school. When Mr. Steenberg witnessed us just engaging in our conversation and walking up the stairs, he immediately came over to us and, in a very loud voice, told us to help that lady carry her bags. Afterwards, he continued to sternly (there’s that word again) lecture us that there was no way two young, strong men should not help such a person in any scenario. Now that life lesson has always stuck with me, and even in my older and weaker self, I will offer my help despite the risk of offending a person in today’s social construct. It is also, in my opinion, that boys need a loud talking-to when appropriate. Thank you, Mr. Steenberg!
Coach Hackett giving Clay advice as he hits the court.
Lastly, I would also like to mention how Mr. Hackett introduced and encouraged me to start lifting weights during my junior year. All NIS had at the time was a bench press and a few hand weights in the boiler room below the gym. Not that I became an intense weightlifter, but I have incorporated lifting weights to improve function and reduce stress as a routine in my life since. I have found it to be very beneficial for staying healthy and active, and I highly recommend it to everyone. Thank you again, Mr. Hackett!
With all my gratitude for the life lessons I learned at NIS, I would like to contribute to a well-equipped fitness center for both the faculty and students at NIS. And that’s the way it is! Thank you!!!
Past Spotlights
- Kirk Dixon: Content Producer
- Hannah Kwon: Cross-platform journalist
- Rachel Wolff: Country Director of CARE in Nepal
- Tina Fahy: Marine Biologist
- Holly Helt: Entrepreneur
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.
Let’s start with where you went after you graduated from NIS.
Kirk: After graduating from NIS, I went to the University of Arkansas. Without a clear career plan—I was more of a sports guy, into basketball—my dad encouraged me to try drama, at least as a minor because both my parents have backgrounds in theater. I wasn’t that interested initially—Japanese theater, which I’ve been involved with on my mom’s side from a young age, felt like a chore growing up. But at Arkansas, I fell in love with theater: the people, my professors, and especially building sets. It was like seeing a different side of it that really excited me. I still did a bit of acting, but I was happier designing sets and props.
That said, I still wanted some on-stage action, but I wasn’t getting that in Arkansas, so I decided to move to LA and study on-camera acting with Don Eitner, an old family friend who’d been on shows like M*A*S*H and Star Trek. To make ends meet, I worked behind the camera as a production assistant while going to auditions. Eventually, I got cast in a project that flew me to Okinawa for three months. It was a big production with a huge budget, and I played the main antagonist. The lead was Koyamada Shin, from The Last Samurai. Unfortunately, the producer did some shady things, and the series was never released.
Was it a movie?
Kirk: No, it was a TV series. They were planning to sell it to Warner Brothers or Disney, but it was written in Japanese initially. We had to translate and adapt it into English, which ended up sparking my interest in writing. Sadly, the show never aired, and it was frustrating to work so hard on something that went nowhere. I went back to LA and faced the same cycle of filming things that never saw the light of day. I was getting tired of working without being seen. My grandfather once bluntly told me that if no one sees my work, it’s like I didn’t do it. That actually motivated me.It was harsh, but it lit a fire under me. I realized I needed more control over my career.
Around this time I got the opportunity to work with Anthony Gilmore (whose children also attended NIS) which led to various behind-the-camera projects, and a steady job for a change. My wife, who I was dating in LA at the time, is from Nagoya and Anthony’s company, Nameless Media, being based in Nagoya, it was an easy decision to return to Japan.
I worked with Nameless directing the Lego Ninjago live show, which was developed for Legoland. While working on that project, I was also performing with my mom’s family.
I understand your mom’s family school of dance is very traditional. How long has it been around?
Kirk: The craft dates back to the Edo period, and the company is likely over 150 years old, maybe closer to 200. I think my family expected me to know Japanese history from growing up in Japan, but I didn’t have the foundation to fully understand it; especially since I didn’t learn much about Japanese history at NIS. I remember studying mostly World History. Returning to Japan for the summers while at university, is what really got me interested in Japanese culture. Once I turned 21, I really started doing more research and traveling around Japan.
Are you expected to take over your family’s business eventually?
Kirk: Yes, I’m the last of the bloodline on both sides of my family—no pressure, right? (laughter) My uncle Kazumasa went through something similar. He initially went to New York to study something completely different but eventually returned and took over. He’s done a great job of carving out his own path within the family business though, which is inspiring.
Do you see yourself following in his footsteps?
Kirk: It’s complicated. I want to do my own thing, but I also don’t want this part of my family’s identity to disappear. Kazumasa has done a great job of balancing his identity with the family’s legacy, so I’d like to explore a similar path while also trying new things.
Okay, let’s get back to your post-NIS journey. You returned to Japan, took an interest in Japan, and…
Kirk: In 2017, I moved back to Nagoya, worked with Nameless, worked with Legoland, and was performing with my family. All this led to being selected to promote Nagoya, as Kanko Taishi—tourism ambassador, a very exciting opportunity, which eventually led to the TV gig.
NHK interviewed me in the Kanko Taishi role, and a producer noticed me. Later, when my family performed at an event for the Emperor's brother, I met a producer from Sala Sala Salada, and I guess they liked me for the show. When the host at the time moved on, they took a chance on me, even though I had no idea what I was doing. However, my co-host, an industry veteran, was amazing and said, "I’ve been doing this for over 30 years. Don’t worry—I’ll teach you." She really took me under her wing.
I ended up working on the show for seven years, with four different partners. The experience taught me more about Japan than I could’ve learned in a lifetime. It was a fantastic opportunity, though it was challenging since they expected me to know things the average Japanese person would know, and I often didn’t.
Like what?
Kirk: One example was preparing nabe (hot pot). At home, my wife and I would throw in everything—cabbage, meat—and serve it. But apparently, you’re supposed to create a sort of "island" for the cabbage.
Oh, so you missed that cultural detail! Alright, so after your years at NHK, what was next? I think around that time, a year or so ago, I initially reached out, and you mentioned feeling unsettled.
Kirk: Right, I actually stayed with NHK another year after that, though I was looking to move on. The on-camera world is so unstable. Most of us were contract workers, and I wanted something steady since I have a family. But I also don’t want to just fall back on teaching in the family business. It’s only been about two months since my time at NHK ended.
And now, I’m a content producer, handling everything from pre-production to post-production for a real estate company that renovates old Japanese kominka (traditional Japanese houses) and rents them to travelers. It’s a freelance role, mostly focused on social media. In a nutshell you can say I’m a filmmaker.
So your work is mainly film, video, and photo for online content?
Kirk: Exactly, for social media. I’m freelancing, looking for more opportunities.
Do you think you’ll return to the family business, the theater?
Kirk: I’ve been exploring ways to contribute. I’ve been filming instructional videos for my family’s dance group, especially during COVID when in-person classes were difficult. Documenting these dances is one of my goals—styles can change over time like a game of telephone, so preserving the original form is important to me.
How did NIS shape you for all of this?
Kirk: NIS being a small school gave me the chance to try a lot of different things. For me, that meant sports and even classes in video production, that my dad taught. I didn’t realize it then, but these experiences opened my mind to different possibilities. Being around talented classmates, like Mackenzie (’08), who went on to become a filmmaker, showed me what was possible and motivated me.
Are you still in touch with old classmates?
Kirk: Absolutely. I recently had dinner with a couple of guys from my class and keep in touch with others like Jamie and Charlie. Jamie actually connected me with his brother Charlie, who gave me a push towards UX/UI design, which helped me get where I am now.
What’s the accomplishment you’re most proud of so far?
Kirk: Honestly, my family. My dad chose to leave his U.S. business to be with us in Japan, which inspired me to prioritize family over career opportunities I may have had in Tokyo and elsewhere. It’s why we’re here in Nagoya, so our kids can be close to both sets of grandparents.
How many kids do you have?
Kirk: Two, and I’d love to send them both to NIS someday.
On the topic of family, what does your wife do?
Kirk: She’s a professional classical saxophonist, performing with the Nagoya and Chubu Philharmonics.
I didn’t realize saxophone was used in classical music.
Kirk: It actually started as a classical instrument.
Back to your time at NIS…what’s a memorable NIS experience?
Kirk: Habitat for Humanity, definitely. We went to Fiji—it was a humbling experience. We went to where there was no electricity, just a generator. We played rugby with local kids on a gravel riverbed with a sandal because they couldn’t afford a ball. On our last day, we bought them a real ball. That experience showed me the value of non-material things and brought me closer to classmates like Jin Soo and Brett.
Any advice for current students?
Kirk: Definitely do something like Habitat for Humanity if you can. Also, take a local train across Japan—don’t take the Shinkansen. You’ll see a side of Japan that’s not just Tokyo or Kyoto. Learn about local foods and culture. I didn't realize how special living in Japan was, so I didn't appreciate it was as a high school student as I did later in life.
One last question, what future goals do you have?
Kirk: My main goal is to combine filmmaking with sports media. I see three types of fans—newcomers, casuals, and die-hards. My dream is to create tailored content that engages each group, maybe even working with a sports team to connect with their fanbase on all levels.
...
A bit of time has passed since we talked to Kirk so we asked him to update us.
Kirk: Since August, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Mitsubishi Electric Koalas Women’s Basketball Team as a content creator for their PR department. Filming the sport I love has been an incredible experience. I get the best seats in the house during games—right below the basket and up close to all the action.
As a filmmaker, I’m starting to identify my niche: the projects I enjoy most and those where I excel. Drawing on my multi-sport experience from my time at NIS—playing basketball, soccer, volleyball, and baseball—I’m eager to expand my involvement in sports media and broaden my coverage.
I’ve also started working as a UX Designer and Cultural Consultant at KORE META, an XR (Extended Reality) video game company that develops educational games for the Meta Quest series of headsets. Currently, we’re creating a game for studying Japanese, and my role involves ensuring the experience and features are culturally accurate.
I’m particularly interested in exploring the growing possibilities of XR technology. With continuous advancements making the tech smaller and more affordable, I believe that within the next 5–10 years, headsets and smart glasses will be as ubiquitous as smartphones.
My updated goal is to continue exploring my current paths, discover new opportunities, and eventually start my own company where all these interests intersect.
Hannah Kwon: Cross-platform journalist
We shine our spotlight this month on Hannah, Class of 2014. Here is her story…
Can you tell us about your journey since graduating from NIS?
Hannah: I lived in Japan from the age of eight to 19-years-old and graduated from NIS in 2014. Since then, I have somewhat tried and failed to become a lawyer, and now work as a cross-platform journalist at Australia’s multicultural public broadcaster, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS News) in Sydney. I wish I could say the journey has been all sunshine and rainbows, but that’s not exactly the case. In an experience I think some alumni might relate to, I experienced a lot of reverse culture shock when I left Japan and moved back to Australia. These days, visiting Japan is considered a ‘cool’ holiday destination, but at the time, I found when I mentioned my upbringing in my early university days, I would see peoples’ eyes glaze over and saw that my experiences would alienate a lot of people. So, I stopped sharing them and molded myself into a more palatable version of someone who wasn’t me, which made me even more miserable. I also experienced a lot of casual racism and underestimated how hard it would be to be away from my family. It got to a point where I became extremely depressed and locked myself in my university dorm room a lot. Luckily, I had friends, family (and eventually a therapist) who caught on and helped bring me out of that rut.
I experienced a turning point where I was studying law and decided I wanted to be a journalist. I think that thought had been lingering in the back of my mind subconsciously for a long time but finding the courage to truly pursue what I wanted to do was daunting. I remember hearing from a professor in my first year of studying media that half of the people in the lecture hall would not get jobs in the industry. After hiding in my room for so long, something in me clicked and I worked extremely hard to get any internship or volunteer role that I could. I found a purpose again. I started volunteering at the university’s community radio station 2ser and read the news, produced segments and interviewed people for current affairs programs. That was an amazing training ground for me. After feeling like I couldn’t do anything right for so long, I met a mentor there who told me I could succeed. That made a huge difference and was the push I needed. I was just listening back to my early news reading recordings from back then and I cringe at how terrible it sounds. So there has been a lot of trial and error and practice. From then on, I got my dream internship at ABC News in Australia, was hired afterwards as the teleprompter operator and assistant (a very bottom-of-the-ladder position) and have kept hustling my way from there. Up until recently, I was working in the audio and podcast news space, having produced, written and presented my own series this year on identity and multiculturalism called, Who We Are for SBS News. My work on a separate podcast on far-right extremism also won an award last year. And I recently was promoted to become a cross platform journalist, so now I will be working across TV, digital, audio and social media platforms.
What motivated you to pursue your current career or field of interest?
Hannah: What motivated me to pursue my current career or field of interest was my love of storytelling. I have always loved writing, watching movies and trying to predict where the storyline might go next. From a young age, all I wanted to be was an author. But I didn’t know how you could just become an author. So being a journalist sort of felt like a more tangible career. Living in Nagoya, the only English news channels we had access to in our house were NHK, CNN and the BBC. Therefore, Anderson Cooper, Yalda Hakim and Don Lemon were big influences and akin to big name celebrities in our household. So, I might have not known it at the time, but I think consuming a lot of news, seeing how they played with and presented words, and thought fast on their feet in holding powerful names to account very much influenced my decision. But, for a long time I felt a lot of familial pressure as the oldest child in my family to pursue a law or medical degree and was deeply unhappy. For a girl whose favourite classes at NIS were always English, Drama and IB Theory of Knowledge, I should have known I should pursue something to do with writing and storytelling.
Have you faced any challenges in your career, and how did you overcome them?
Hannah: Many. When I was first trying to be a journalist in Australia, there weren’t that many diverse faces on screen or role models I could look up to. While things are constantly improving, there is still a long way to go. In previous places I’ve worked, I've had people yell at me in the news control room telling me to put my food away because it stank when I had absolutely no food on me or around me whatsoever. I’ve had people call me by a different name and mistake me for only other Asian woman working in the newsroom. But I’ve also had a lot of people take chances on me and believe in me. I think being able to debrief with my family and partner, finding allies in friends and trusted colleagues and acknowledging that there are people on your side is really important. These experiences have taught me resilience, but also that there are good people out there who are rooting for you.
How did your time at NIS contribute to your personal and professional development?
Hannah: I didn’t realise how progressive my education was at NIS until I left. I was very fortunate to have some amazing teachers there and be at a school where multiculturalism was celebrated and revered. I have not always found that to be the case outside of what my teachers sometimes called the ‘bubble’ of NIS. I did now know what they meant until later. I think being at NIS, where I was surrounded by many peers with mixed identities and having that be the norm greatly influenced me as the person I am today.
What accomplishments are you most proud of in your career or personal life?
Hannah: I am most proud of my recent podcast series exploring multicultural identities in Australia and a recent story I wrote and presented on gendered violence and the spreading on non-consensual deepfake AI pornography. I am also extremely proud of a story I did on Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win and its influence on Asian-Australian filmmakers which received over 89,000 views. But, I think more than these things itself is the feedback I receive when a story resonates with someone. Being at NIS, multiculturalism was the norm, but sometimes in news it is often associated with disadvantage. These are all things that are important to acknowledge but that makes it even more rewarding when someone messages me and tells me that a story I worked on made a difference or resonated with them.
In my personal life, I am proud of the close relationship I have with my family. I am proud of the little things like getting better at cooking, ordering way less UberEats and moving out with my partner. And learning to find work life balance.
How do you balance your professional life with personal interests and passions?
Hannah: For a long time, and especially during COVID, I put all my energy into work and that really fueled me. It also distracted me from confronting any other hardships I was experiencing in the periphery. My work had become my life at one point, and I liked that, for a time. After being quite a high achiever at NIS and then struggling with depression and just drifting and feeling like the complete opposite of a high achiever for much of my university life, finding journalism and something I was good at to focus my energy into felt fun again. Now, while it can be hard to switch off from the news cycle, I have a great support system and make more of an effort to switch off. I think living in Japan also taught me a lot about how to apply a good work ethic, but I have also had to acknowledge that work isn’t everything either. And now I have a lot better work life balance. Sometimes it is absolutely necessary to just lie on the couch and watch Ru Paul’s Drag Race. I think getting out in nature really helps too. Being in Sydney I am fortunate that I can experience those things.
What are your future goals and aspirations?
Hannah: I’ve been working as an audio journalist up until now, but recently I was hired to become a cross-platform journalist, which is one of my absolute dream roles. If you had told me in 2014 after graduating from NIS that I would have achieved this goal, I would have been shocked! The journey has been far from smooth sailing, but I wouldn’t trade the experiences I’ve had as they’ve shaped me as a person.
But I still have more I want to achieve. I hope I continue to grow as a journalist. Having worked in audio up until now, I want to keep being creative with my storytelling through visual mediums, keep championing for diversity and reporting on multicultural Australia, learn video journalist skills and how to use a camera independently, perhaps work overseas as a foreign correspondent or come back and live in Japan again for a while. I also hope to write a book of fiction or a screenplay. I would also eventually like to have my own dog and start a family.
Have you stayed connected to the NIS community after graduation?
Hannah: I recently attended my former classmate Nina’s wedding and reunited with other NIS students which was lovely. Sometimes the fact that we live in different countries can make it difficult to keep in touch and I think having been at NIS for so long I initially wanted to find my identity outside of that. But I have met up with former classmates Parnavi, Taisei and recently Denny in Sydney and have really enjoyed seeing them thrive and become the amazing people they are today.
Can you share a memorable or favorite experience from your time at NIS?
Hannah: It is hard to pinpoint a specific moment. From making dinosaur dioramas in third grade with Ms Jackie Shucker, to smuggling in conbini snacks under the covers to a field trip at Zen Buddhist temple Eiheiji, to sleeping on thin futons on hard classroom floors during away games at other international schools, there are so many different experiences. I think seeing the cherry blossoms petals spiral down towards the asphalt playground floor was also beautiful. It’s pretty incredible looking back to think that some of our school field trips which included going skiing in Nagano, visiting Hiroshima, Shirakawago and seeing Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. Like, who does that?
What advice do you have for current students or recent graduates of NIS?
Hannah: Pursue what you want to pursue and embrace what makes you different. What makes you different is your superpower. For a little while I was trying to fit in with people I did not even particularly like or enjoy being around. Now, I feel like, as cheesy as it sounds, being yourself will cause the right people to gravitate towards you. And another reminder that I think many people are aware of but it’s good to revisit, is that with the advent of social media, people are often posting the highlight reels of their lives. We don’t see the blood, sweat and tears that took place in the background. Also, it’s okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to do after high school or get stuck in a rut along the way. Just don’t stay there forever. Keep seeking out what you’re passionate about and know that it’s okay if that shifts and keeps shifting.
Rachel Wolff: Country Director of CARE in Nepal
Interview with Rachel Wolff, Class of 1993, by 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.
Eimi: Could you tell me what you do, what your role is, and what CARE does?
Rachel: Sure. CARE has been in Nepal continuously for about 45 years, and the focus there, as it is around the world, is on making life better for women and girls, finding justice in their lives, and helping them escape poverty. We have found that focusing on women and girls is the best way to help their children, families, and entire communities. If we can empower them, we can train them. We can give them agency to work on all the systems in their lives that exclude them, oppress them, and forget about them. This way they can actually take part, have a voice, and help lead change in the communities transforming some of the policies and unjust systems that have caused them and their children to suffer.
E: Wow!
R: We focus heavily on health — helping with family planning, reproductive health, sexual and reproductive health rights, all the way through to when they start giving birth, then with maternal health, child and newborn health. Research tells us that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, health is very critical. Also, education, especially, for adolescent girls here in Nepal is an issue. They are easily excluded, and dropout rates for girls are much higher than for boys. We help them stay in school, delay marriage, and then have healthy births once they’re adults and married.
Alongside that, we help with agriculture, which is still a major way that women earn an income for their families and survive in Nepal. We help with farming for women and also dealing with climate change which affects them. We also help women with their economic options outside of farming, like small businesses, enterprises, and skills-building. Nepal, is very prone to earthquakes also, like Japan.
E: That’s incredible. Did I hear you correctly, that you mentioned girls dropping out of school at higher rates than boys? And that you were working to prevent child marriage?
R: Yes.
E: Right. That’s actually one huge issue, that and malnutrition. We at the Nepal Youth Foundation noticed an increase in numbers during COVID. A lot of our COVID responses tackled those issues — education, child marriage, and malnutrition. Would you say you have noticed those too, over at CARE, or were there other issues in Nepal that COVID has exacerbated?
R: Yes. Hunger and nutrition are a huge focus of ours. Thankfully because remittances have continued, something we were worried about in the beginning, the floor hasn’t fallen out at this point. There hasn’t been a massive hunger crisis like in other parts of the world. But, another concern that we have been addressing, and monitoring, especially with the lockdowns, is that women were unable to get to their antenatal and postnatal appointments. We did see an uptick, especially in the first year of COVID, in maternal deaths and newborn deaths which we had worked so hard to prevent! The numbers have really started to come down over the past fews so that was really tragic. I think during this year’s lockdown everyone was much more aware. Again, men are in charge right? In villages and in local governments and they don’t think about these things because they’re not the ones who are pregnant. Raising awareness and making sure that communities are prepared to make accommodations for women and keep them safe is so important.
E: Oh my goodness! You all must’ve been so busy during COVID this last year and a half, though.
R: We have! It has really affected people’s lives, especially in 2021 with the Delta variant. CARE launched a major COVID response in both years.
Eimi is a part of the development and fundraising team for the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF). At the time of this interview, she was in her third year at NYF. Their U.S. office is in San Francisco, but she had recently moved to New York. Eimi attended NIS for 15 years, from pre-K all the way through to Grade 12.
E: Yeah I bet! Now, moving away from COVID, something that’s really guided me and my team in this work is being really critical and aware about how we fundraise and talk about our programs. Our founder and fundraising team in the US has always been majority white, and even though all of our programs are led, managed, and run by Nepalese people and our entire staff in Nepal is Nepalese, we are the ones who communicate the great work they do, and the ones who usually ask for and provide funding. Our donors are also largely from the US. So it’s been really important for us to move away from this white-savior narrative. We’ve been highlighting our Nepalese staff, using asset-framed language, and communicating program-related materials with sensitivity and integrity. So, from one non-Nepalese person to another non-Nepalese person who does this work in Nepal, I’m wondering if this has come up for you and your team. What are some things that have been helpful for you all - operating in Nepal - when thinking about this? I think it’s a really important discussion for us to have.
R: Absolutely. At CARE, we’re actively having these discussions about decolonizing aid. Making sure that our teams and leadership are globalized is a huge part of that. At CARE we’ve set a target for 80% of our country director leads to be from the Global South, obviously I would be in the minority. But even here in Nepal, we have a majority national team. I am the only expat in the country of 80 staff, and we have two assistant country directors who are Nepali women. It’s also about ensuring women’s leadership in our own organization, in our own country programs. This is really critical.
I think where it works well is when you intentionally combine the local and national, the knowledge, expertise and leadership, and you’re building Nepali leaders. In fact, many of our senior and mid-level staff are advocates and human rights activists in their own right — aside from the work they do in CARE. They’re known in the country, they do op-eds, they’re a part of the movement. They’ve dedicated their professional lives to these issues as well. It’s really important, who you’re bringing to the table. It’s not just about a person being Nepali — do they also represent the movements that you are trying to support? Do they bring that perspective? Do you have minority ethnicities represented? Do you have women? But when you do have international staff, whether it’s from the Global North or another part of the Global South, are you doing that in an intentional way?
For me, I can’t tell my staff Nepali context, I don’t speak the language. But what do I bring? Well, I worked in Bangladesh, which is in the same region. I bring experience from there — models that we can think about or adapt, or even things that didn’t work in Bangladesh that we don’t want to repeat. I grew up in Japan, and studied in Vietnam, so I’ve had that wider pan-Asian experience. I’ve worked extensively in eastern and southern Africa, where a lot of donor money has gone, historically and currently. So there are a lot of models that we can learn from there. The more experience that I get and the older I get, I recognize that as much as we have to go deep and understand the nuances and every context is radically different, the world is not that different. A recent Nepali leader that I met asked me, “How do you find the caste system in Nepal as a foreigner?” I said, “I don’t know if I’ll ever understand it, it’s very nuanced, it’s rooted in hundreds and even thousands of years of history…” but on the other hand, I feel like wherever you go in the world, every culture, every context, every country, go back a thousand years, go back ten thousand years, it’s just about power.
The issues between women and men. The issues between religions, castes, economic strata, how racial issues are playing out in the US, it’s all about power. So it’s both — it’s being humbled to say, “I don’t understand, I need to learn, I bring some ideas but I depend on my team, we find the best together.” But we also need to reflect and say, “You know what, human dynamics — why we screw things up — there are so many similarities.” So it’s holding out to both of those extremes and moving forward together in humility. That’s when it works. I think that’s what an organization like CARE brings to the table in this day and age: that we are authentically rooted in the local context where we work. Again, we have the long history and the nationalization of the staff, but we don’t leave it at that. There’s something missing if all of the work in the country, even in the US, is only being done by groups that understand that context. So combining that, bringing in the richness of an organization like CARE that has worked in 100+ countries. We bring in models from Sri Lanka, from India, from Tanzania, from Panama - you know, you name it. There’s such richness there and we can make a difference faster sometimes because of that. And like I said, avoiding mistakes too, that’s important. (laughs)
E: Tying that to your time in Japan, do you think you’re able to come to that conclusion, and have these thoughts, and this kind of global awareness because of your upbringing in Japan and your time at NIS?
R: Before I came to NIS, I was completely enmeshed in Japanese culture. In fact, my first six months at NIS, I was enrolled in ESL because my English was so bad. My first teacher at NIS, Mrs. Quinn, bless her heart — I love her so much, really helped me. I think she felt sorry for me because I could not spell to save my life. I attended NIS for three years with my two sisters, from 5th to 7th grade. My father [Steve Luttio - 1969] is an NIS graduate, and all my aunts and uncles also attended, giving us deep family ties to the school. I had always heard them talk about NIS. I loved attending, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Three years sounds so short but it felt like 30.
E: Where were you living before attending NIS?
R: We were in Kagoshima where I attended Japanese yochien and elementary school. My father, having grown up in Japan, of course is a native speaker, and my mother was quite a linguist so her Japanese was excellent. We were supposed to speak English in the home, but we didn’t. My sisters and I only played in Japanese, and all of my friends were Japanese speakers. We had zero foreign friends. There was no English in my life, except for when my mother would speak to me in English — to which I would respond in Japanese. I was one of the top students in my class in Japanese public school. I was only watching television in Japanese. Everyone in my life was Japanese.
E: That is incredible.
R: Yeah, so it was a unique upbringing that truly made me not only bilingual but bicultural. To this day, I still consider Japan as my home. It’s my spiritual and emotional home. I don’t get back that much but that’s how I feel. The bilingual part, of course, is great and enriching, but the bicultural part has been such a gift. My natural personality is very stereotypically American. I’m highly independent, I don’t like anybody telling me what to do — but my Japanese side forces me to be very respectful of my leadership. So I thrive in these large organizations because I am an excellent leader. I guarantee you, I would not have had that had I not been raised in Japan.
Coming to NIS was the bridge for me. After NIS, we went back to the United States and that was not a good experience for me at all. It was horrific. I was so angry, I didn’t fit in, I struggled. I adjusted eventually and had a good high school experience but I struggled for a couple years. If it were not for NIS, it would have been a hundred times worse. NIS is what allowed me to sort of bridge that 99% Japanese experience with the “I’m back in America, this is horrible.”
I felt so at home at NIS because I could speak with my Japanese friends and the longtime Japanese residents whose Japanese was just as good as mine. I could be part of the classroom and the extra curricular activities in English. I could blend the languages and blend the two sides of me — which was pretty common in my day and I’m sure in yours as well. So it was really the best of both worlds and prepared me to re-enter US society, and eventually accept my American side. You know, people always still ask me where I’m from...
E: a contributing factor that led me to where I am now is my upbringing in Japan and specifically my education at NIS. It definitely shaped me into becoming a more global-minded person.
E: Oof, that’s always a tough question to answer for a lot of us from NIS.
R: Right! Well my passport says US but I grew up in Japan. That’s what I usually say, and that allows me to have a conversation that’s meaningful to me about who I am.
E: Absolutely. For me, a contributing factor that led me to where I am now is my upbringing in Japan and specifically my education at NIS. It definitely shaped me into becoming a more global-minded person. It’s so unique and such a privileged position to be in, to be able to grow up in that international space, so yeah, I’m right there with you. You were at NIS for three years, is there a favorite thing, event, club, person, teacher, etc. that you remember during your time at NIS?
R: Oh, yeah. Mrs. Quinn, my fifth grade teacher was very influential. I have my yearbooks right behind me, actually. Mrs. Bergman in 6th grade, I think I had her in 7th grade as well. Her husband Mr. Bergman was the principal at the time. I really loved the academic challenges. As much as I had to catch up on my English, NIS was very, very stimulating. We had classes of 10-12 people, and the curriculum was flexible and based on individual needs. I felt challenged in every area.
When I got back to the US, I was miserable, because supposedly I was in “one of the best school systems in the United States,” but it wasn’t. I advocated for myself, very forcibly, saying things like, “this text we were reading in the 5th grade, I am now in the 8th grade - give me something better.” So, yeah, NIS had really good academics.
E: The small class sizes at NIS are such a gift. I went to a really big public university after NIS, and didn’t really personally get to know my professors. I was in classes with 300-400 students my first two years. It was such a strange experience after NIS.
R: Yeah! Activity-wise, I was most involved in musicals. Back then, we had an incredible music director — I can’t quite remember his name, it was a long Eastern European name [Roskowski?] — anyway, he had been in Japan forever. He was very gifted and I was involved in shows all three years at NIS. It was the most seminal part of my experience at NIS. The first year it was Wizard of Oz. Back then, we would do one show on campus but we would also perform them at a theater in Nagoya City.
E: What! I don’t think we did that when I was at NIS.
R: Yeah it was a huge part of the PR of the school for the city. Because we had such a gifted musical director, he led the whole thing, and I think he had relationships with the set companies. We used the full broadway script, music, and everything. We did Wizard of Oz, Bye Bye Birdie, and Annie. I had roles in all of those! As a 5th grader I played Mrs. Hannigan, I was taller than the high schoolers at that point. I also played the mother in Bye Bye Birdie. I had roles and solos in all of the plays. There were rehearsals every night allowing me to even make friends with the high schoolers. My sisters were involved as well - actually the whole school would be involved, because all the extras would be the elementary school kids. The director intentionally chose shows that could easily bring every age group. So of course, with Wizard of Oz, all the munchkins would be the little kids.
E: Wow! I think I did a couple plays, and I was a part of Oliver Twist, once, but I don’t think I had a speaking role. I was one of the extras in 5th or 6th grade. I was more involved with athletics at NIS so that was probably the only musical I was a part of. But that’s awesome, I didn’t know about the connection NIS had with the city. NIS actually has a new theater now, they built that recently - I’m not sure if you saw.
R: The last time I visited must’ve been… Gosh, I don’t know. I took my husband to visit Japan long ago, maybe in 1998? I don’t think I’ve had a chance to go back since then.
E: They’ve got some really great new buildings.
R: Of course, living abroad now, our younger children haven’t quite started school. They’re three and five, and my older ones are 20 and 22. Our older ones went to International School in Kenya, and when I visit these schools and take a look, my reference point is NIS - the only International School I’ve ever attended. My dad, aunts, and uncles went to ASIJ and CAJ, but NIS is my reference point for everything. So if a school is even half as good as NIS, then yeah. NIS had it all. It was the right size, a safe and fun place for me. The academics were stellar. I mean, I went to Georgetown University, and got my MBA at Wharton — and I remember being at Georgetown like, “Yeah, NIS was as good or better.” I got the best education of my life at NIS!
E: I totally understand that. I went to Berkeley for undergrad and found that some of my high school classes were more challenging than classes there.
R: NIS is where I was challenged, intellectually, the most. It was where I had the best community experience — I loved my teachers, and I was very stimulated extracurricularly. Can’t beat that!
E: Absolutely.
R: And oh my gosh, the fun we had on the bus! Did you take the bus?
E: I think I took the bus for a very short period of time, but we moved really close to the school soon after that.
R: We lived in Toyota, so we took the Tomei bus with a couple other kids that lived there, and it was like a 20 min ride into Nagoya City. Then we’d wait, 45 minutes to an hour, because of the timing, for the NIS bus. There was this park where we’d all hang out. Then the NIS bus ride would take another 45 minutes. So that would be like an hour and a half to get to school. And my poor baby sister, when she started kindergarten, she was so tired. We would do homework on the bus. I remember the high school students would pick the music, and we would be like, “Oh this is so cool, this American music.” You know, I had never really listened to western music before that, so I was getting exposed to pop culture on the bus as well. It was super fun and a highlight too — hanging out on the bus every day.
E: Yeah I bet (laughing). So do you keep in touch with other NISers?
R: Yeah, loosely. One of my best friends, Hanako, she was one of my bridesmaids at my wedding. She had gone to boarding school in the U.S., but she was from Nagoya and her entire schooling before that was at NIS. We’re friends on Facebook. I haven’t seen her in many years, but that was a dear, dear friendship. Other than that, it’s mostly Facebook friends.
E: Before we finish, is there anything you’d like to share with other NISers, or current students at NIS?
R: I would say take full advantage of everything the school offers. It’s hard to know when you’re there how unique and special the experience is, but recognize that going to an international school, and NIS in particular, is such a unique experience. Hardly any other people on the planet get to have that experience. To have an international experience within a Japanese context is really special. Going to school with people from all over the world, with all kinds of international experiences, roots us to be international citizens. When you live your life in your home country or travel around the world, when you can conduct yourself and represent yourself as a global citizen, it’s a different contribution that you can make to our world. So I would say take full advantage of that both while you’re there and after you’re there, and keep in touch with your roots. It’s such a special school — and let’s support the school, because if we have more leaders, globally, who can be bicultural and multicultural in the way they conduct themselves, then those leaders can make change in a way that is different.
E: Yeah, fantastic! Thank you so much. So last thing: I haven’t been to Nepal yet, but I’d love to visit. There was supposed to be a trip not too long ago, but COVID happened. I’m wondering if it’s OK to touch base with you if that happens. I’m sure my colleagues and I would love to visit your office and have you visit ours as well.
R: Please! I insist. That would be fantastic.
E: Great! Well, thank you so much. Hope you have a fantastic day.
R: Yeah, I’ve got the day off, actually.
E: Right! Happy Tihar! (Nepali holiday).
Tina Fahy: Marine Biologist
Last year we asked Aya (Hozumi) Rae ('06) to interview Tina Fahy ('82) because of their similar interests in Marine Biology.
Read on to learn what Tina has been up to…
A: It’s nice to meet you Tina! I want to start with how you ended up at NIS.
T: My father (Dick Fahy) was a private school teacher and we moved around a lot as a family depending on where my father was teaching. We lived in Wisconsin and before we came to Japan we lived in Connecticut where my father was the director of studies and a history teacher. My father had fought in the Korean War, was wounded, and was flown to Tokyo for rehabilitation. He fell in love with the country so when he had the opportunity to become the assistant headmaster for NIS, he jumped at the chance. He thought his four children were young enough (we ranged in age from 3rd grade to 7th grade) that it would be a wonderful opportunity for us to move to Japan for a few years and experience the culture but also take advantage of going to an international school. That’s how we ended up there in 1975.
A: 1975!
T: A long time ago, I know! Nagoya was very different then. The city did not have a lot of foreigners living there, so we received a bit of attention (all good!) and we were often approached by students who wanted to converse with us. We modeled, helped sell American products in stores, and taught English to Japanese students. It was a wonderful experience.
A: That’s such an interesting story. Did your father enjoy his time when he returned?
T: Yes, he loved it. I think this was probably his favorite job ever because he was second in command to the headmaster, he was able to teach, including teaching English at night. We traveled all over the country when we could during vacation to learn and immerse ourselves in the Japanese culture. As a family, we also traveled to India and the Philippines during the holidays. We all definitely gained an appreciation for Asia.
A: How long did you stay in NIS as a student?
T: I was there from 1975-1978. I spent one year, my 9th grade, at Canadian Academy. I lived with the headmaster (Dr. Guy Lott) and his wife (May) there, who was the former headmaster of NIS. My brothers continued on at NIS.
A: So you and your 3 other siblings went to NIS?
T: Yes, I have three brothers, Richard, Carter, and Nat. My mother had never taught before and when my father got hired, the headmaster asked if my mother was willing to teach 3rd and 4th grade and she said yes! So she taught my brother Nat for a couple of years and really loved it. The whole family was very much immersed in school. We lived in teachers’ housing right below the gym. We had access to the field, tennis courts, playground and the gym. It was great.
A: Do you still keep in touch with some of the people you met in NIS?
T: I was much better at keeping in touch when I left Japan and was in high school. Now Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with classmates and former teachers. My mother has been very good about visiting and staying in touch with some of her very good friends (like the Sapps). Christmas cards are always exchanged. We, especially my parents, had really good friends in Japan. I wish I could stay in touch more with some of them but we had such small classes.
A: How many people were in your class?
T: Oh my gosh, I think about maybe 8?
A: And I thought my graduating class was small with 18 people!
T: Yes, it was very small compared to most US schools.
A: What was your favorite memory or event from NIS?
T: I think my brothers will agree with me that Field Day was the most memorable event of the year. The whole school got together to compete in athletic events - it was almost like a mini Olympics! We prepared for that day every year, we were excited about it and received ribbons when we placed. It was really fun, very exciting, and each class had an important role that day, either in providing food, beverages, etc. My father was sometimes in charge of the starting gun, which he took very seriously!
A: Do you remember any teachers that were your favorite?
T: Yes, very much. Mrs Steenberg, my 8th grade science teacher, was very influential to me and probably too many 8th graders who took her class, because the class was so challenging. We had to keep a plant notebook throughout the year, where we had to find ~100 plants and put them in our notebook, research and write them. If we couldn’t find all of the plants, we had to look them up. Internet wasn't available then so we would have to look them up in books, write about them and their life history and draw them. We also had an animal notebook where I think everyone had a pet and we had to observe that animal and describe different behaviors, preferences, etc. We dissected frogs, cow eyeballs, and earthworms, which I never did following that in high school (just fish in college!). She was great, she helped me learn to love science and the importance of observation, curiosity, good scientific writing and the fundamental principles of biology. I didn’t know if I was going to study science, math, English or history later in college, but it turns out I focused on marine science so, I think she had a lot of do with that.
A: After NIS, I saw you went to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy,
T: I attended for a few years and majored in marine science.
A: You already knew you wanted to study marine science?
T: I wasn't really sure but the Academy only had around 8 majors we could choose from and a lot of them were heavy on math and engineering and 2 of them were government/management but the one that really struck me was marine science. I learned to scuba dive while in high school and I thought it was a good mix of science and math, but it was very challenging and comprehensive with classes in physics, fluid dynamics, and oceanography in addition to the biological sciences. I completed my B.S. degree at the University of Rhode Island in Fisheries Technology and Aquaculture.
A: Could you describe what your job is now?
T: Since 1998, I’ve worked for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, which is a federal government agency that conserves and protects marine species such as marine mammals and sea turtles but also includes fish and invertebrates. I work specifically as a marine mammal and sea turtle biologist and my main job is to assess the current status of endangered species and their habitat and analyze human impacts such as fishing on marine mammals and sea turtles throughout the US West coast.
A: So you do population assessments?
T: Yes absolutely! We conduct population assessments for endangered species; for example, I have been involved on status review teams for Guadalupe fur seals, and several species of sea turtles. Marine mammals that are not protected under the Endangered Species Act are protected under another federal law, even healthy populations like California sea lions (which was the subject of my Master’s thesis). Thus, we still need to protect them from human activities such as fishing and navy/military activities, coastal constructions, etc.
A: Does your job involve a lot of fieldwork?
T: Unfortunately not as much as I would like! But I have been lucky to go to the Channel Islands off California a number of times to help researchers tag and brand sea lions and fur seals. I’ve participated in aerial and ship board surveys, and I’ve also been lucky to travel down to Baja for multiple years to help conduct research on the effect of light sticks on gill nets and how they might reduce bycatch of sea turtles.
A: Wow so cool, so if you attach a light stick to the gillnets, turtles tend to avoid them?
T: Exactly, we’ve seen significant results, with a 50-60 percent reduction in sea turtle entanglements. We did that for multiple years using different colored lights and worked with high school students from San Diego, which was very rewarding. We also worked closely with Mexican fishermen, who knew how to find and catch turtles, so it was very rewarding.
A: So in your job you also get to work with students and become mentors for them?
T: Yes, one particular example I gave you was high school students from the inner city of San Diego who have applied successfully for the program to come down to Baja for 5 weeks and work besides researchers. It was very rewarding for us and for them. Over my career I’ve spent a lot of time mentoring both high school but mainly university students or early career NOAA scientists to help them with their career choices or opportunities they may not know about.
A: What kinds of opportunities do you personally think are important for students in NIS to explore a career path in marine/environmental conservation?
T: For high school students, I think it’s important to be exposed to as many opportunities, volunteer or otherwise, that you can in the field you may be interested in. Nagoya has an aquarium right? So even just volunteering at the aquarium, or beach cleanup or anything that will expose you to the environment, be it forest/ land management or the marine environment, is key because then you’ll understand whether or not it's a field you’ll be interested in or might be passionate about. Our earth is being challenged by all of the stressors that we as humans are putting on it and I want to leave this next generation with the sense of conservation and preserving what we have and regaining what we might have lost through phenomena such as climate change; rising sea levels, warming waters, loss of biodiversity, etc. I’m doing the best I can with the time I have. So I recommend internships, networking with former alumni like me, and even if you don't like what you are volunteering for or working on, at least it gives you a sense of what you don't want to do. If it doesn't challenge you intellectually or keep you curious it’s may not be the field for you.
A: So before your NOAA job, you had many other jobs?
T: Yes. After my undergraduate school, I thought I wanted to study admiralty law in part from my experience and classes I took at the Academy but also at university, where I was really interested in marine policy. I worked in a law firm in NYC for 3.5 years and decided I did not want to be a lawyer. I transferred to University of Washington to get a Master’s in marine affairs, which is really focused on U.S. marine policy and how we should use science to inform decisions in the US and internationally as well. Then I worked up in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest for 2 years as a fisheries observer on fishing boats as a biologist collecting data on what they’re catching and what their bycatch, which is essentially unwanted marine species. I did that because I wanted to understand the fishermen’s culture, for if I was ever to be a fisheries manager, at least it will give me some background and experience out on fishing boats.
A: That’s such a great attribute to have to be able to connect with the people at the forefront of fisheries and then use that experience and knowledge to connect that back to the policy making.
T: I felt like sitting in a classroom and learning about fishing was helpful but that it was much more important to understand the mechanics and purpose of fishing a particular species because, only then can you consider modifications to the gear reduce whale entanglements for example. With crab/lobster fishermen, we are exploring the use of a gear retrieval system that reduces the use vertical lines, so fishermen can modify their gear without compromising the target species that they are after while protecting the species like whales or sea turtles.
A: Were these technologies that reduce bycatch produced from NOAA or collaboration with the fishermen?
T: Good question. Both, absolutely. You can’t offer solutions without the fishermen’s input and collaboration. They’re the ones who are out there and know exactly how their gear works and how any modifications might affect what they’re targeting. So absolutely collaboration with fishermen is essential, but we also work with environmental groups because their primary interest is reducing any interactions with endangered species like whales, so we want them to be part of the solution as well.
A: What was your most exciting project you’ve been involved with in your career?
T: I don’t know if it was exciting but the most rewarding project that I worked on was very early on in my career where I was analyzing the effect of a drift gill net fishery that was targeting swordfish. The fishery was entangling an unsustainable number of highly endangered leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles. Through my analysis, I was able to highlight the effect of the fishery on these turtles and provide a solution to reduce interactions by 70-80%. Interestingly, loggerheads migrate all the way from nesting beaches in Japan and leatherbacks are migrating from Indonesian nesting beaches and feeding off of California for a few months every year. I’m just proud to say that in 20 years there have been just a few turtles caught by that fishery and they've been released alive. That's my proudest achievement.
A: For that project, did you collaborate with Japan and Indonesia where the turtles come from?
T: We have since then because leatherbacks are born in Indonesia and then a portion of them travel to California so we have been working with their government and the World Wildlife Fund, to protect them on the nesting beaches. Loggerheads in Japan are only born on the mainland and offshore islands of Japan so we have been working with them to develop a recovery plan to help focus our countries reduce threats. We also share information on the status of the loggerhead nesting beaches and learn what Japan is doing to help preserve the habitat given the rising seas and coastal armament and construction because that is the only place North Pacific loggerheads are born..
A: A lot of international collaboration! When I visited Yakushima, it was turtle hatching season and they had an active community patrolling at night to protect the hatching beaches!
T: Yes, Yakushima is a very important nesting beach for loggerheads! Japan uses large pound nets that are as big as couple of football fields to catch fish. Turtles have been caught in the pound nets so we have been working on ways to get the sea turtles to the surface of the water so they can breathe.
A: What has been the most challenging part of your career in your personal experience?
T: We have very strong conservation-oriented organizations on the West coast so with that comes challenges when we may be sued to provide more protection to marine species than we already are providing. We have interest in protecting our US fishermen, allowing them to bring sustainably caught seafood to our US tables but sometimes environmentalists believe we should be doing more. The challenge NOAA Fisheries faces is to balance conflicting interests between different stakeholders.
A: That’s interesting. It’s hard to balance the demand for seafood to sustain our population and controlling its sustainability.
T: Many other regions in the U.S. have very strong fishing advocates that are supported by politicians, whereas on the West coast, our fishing industry is not so much promoted in that way. Thus, it is a challenge get the message across that we don't want to import seafood from other countries that are not using the same management and regulatory measures that we are in the US.
A: When you work with different countries, whom do you talk to? And does that entity disseminate this information?
T: When we work internationally, we’ll typically work with fisheries agencies at the federal level to eventually work with states or provinces, or fishing cooperatives, depending on the country. Generally the strategy is to work first at a higher level of government, but we also work at the grassroots level, working with non-profits that could travel into coastal communities and convince them to try gear modifications such as using light-sticks or modified hooks. I think some of our non-profit groups have been way more effective than we have because we don't have the influence in another country but a non-profit will be able to go locally and talk to the coastal communities and understand their cultures. You may think it’s not so important but in some cases the wives of fishermen are more influential in the community than the fishermen so reaching the wives and convincing them, they'll convince their husbands and change will happen. At the government-to-government level, we have been successful in putting resolutions forward to reduce sea turtle, shark, and seabird bycatch , within regional fishery management commissions which are organizations formed to manage tuna stocks. Back in the 70’s, purse seine fishing were harvesting tuna and killing hundreds of thousands of dolphins so the cou came together to look at that problem and help solve it mechanically with the purse seines to allow the dolphins to escape. In light of that, they are also managing the tuna resource. Thus, these regional fishery management commissions represent international mechanisms that can collectively manage tuna stocks outside of a country’s waters, while still considering collateral effects of fisheries on whales, dolphins, sea turtles, etc.
Aya swimming with the sharks.
Aya was raised at NIS from preschool through her graduation in 2006. She went on to study biology and environmental sciences in the US. Her passion for marine conservation led her Australia, and New Zealand, where she completed a MSc in conservation. Her journey continued to on Saudi Arabia where she studied a whale shark aggregation site in the Red Sea as part of her PhD dissertation. She followed with postdoc position in Israel, where she studied algae blooms in Lake Kinneret. She is currently based in the Gulf side of Saudi Arabia, where she lives with her husband, child, and two beloved dogs.
A: I learned so much through all your projects! Are you enjoying what you’re doing now?
T: Yes, very much. Everyday is different and challenging intellectually. I am lucky to work with different groups of people every day including the fishing industry, environmental groups, state, partners, and other agencies that are interested in conducting activities off the West coast such as oil and gas exploration, wind farms, aquaculture, fisheries.
A: It sounds very rewarding to be in a position where you can make a difference in something you are passionate about. Lastly, what would you like to say to NIS alum and current students?
T: I would tell them to take advantage of all the opportunities and education that you’re given in school and don’t focus solely on your grades but really focus on what you’re learning because your education at NIS is going to give you the foundation for your future. It’s so different from when I was there, I don't know if there are volunteer opportunities but when I look at the NIS magazine, it looks like a lot of students are making differences in their communities. Take advantage of learning about the culture of Japan because depending on where you go in your career, it may serve you well when you’re communicating and working with colleagues from other nations. From what I recall, there were many foreign students from all over the world that went to NIS and you never know how those relationships with your classmates, experiences, and understanding their cultures will serve you in your future endeavors.
You don't have to decide what you want to focus on after you graduate. You have a whole world open to you and many opportunities so just take advantage of them as best you can. Network with other alumni if you see something that might be of interest to you.
A: I especially love the message that you don’t have to know what you want to do when you leave NIS.
T: Relax, enjoy your time, and don't feel pressured from your elders that are pushing you in one direction because if you’re not happy in a job, then you’ll burn out or be dissatisfied with your career and you don't want that. If you enjoy art, make that a career, if you enjoy music, anything, take advantage of your skill set and love for a particular subject and hopefully you’ll find a career in that.
A: What a heartfelt message. Thank you Tina!
Thank you too Aya!!
Holly Helt: Entrepreneur
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.
After working for 20 years in international commercial property marketing in London and Paris, Holly quit to work in a field that she really loves—Japanese tea. Holly’s love for sencha started while attending NIS. Interestingly, her uncle invented Kool-Aid, but since that was unavailable at the time in Japan, her mother told her that sencha was "Japanese Kool-Aid," and while believing it was the same beverage her cousins in Nebraska were drinking, the love affair began.
This love and passion for Japanese green tea are what fuels her company, Chiki Tea, today. Celebrating its 10th birthday in 2022, Holly’s company ships Japanese tea to customers in over 32 countries. “When you start a company, you never can predict where it will go,” Holly muses.
Holly co-founded the company in London in 2012, thinking they would open green tea cafes around the UK, but after a 21-day trip from Kanazawa in the north to Kagoshima in the south, she realized the need to move the company to Japan. Kyushu, where Holly says the best artisanal teas come from, is where she chose for the move.
Artisanal teas are teas made by tea masters using leaves cultivated on small farms or purchased at auction. They are then blended in small batches while the masters add their signature styles through the drying and heating methods. A master will select the best leaves from the crop and use his skills in blending different cultivars to achieve the flavor note, color of brew, fragrance, and so forth. Holly works with some of the masters and blends some of Chiki Tea's own signature teas.
Holly points out that most of the tea produced in Japan, especially in Shizuoka Prefecture, ends up as bottled tea and that the artisanal producers aren't exporting for various reasons, including the language barrier. So when she appeared on the tea scene, with a long history of living in Japan as a child, many of the tea producers saw Chiki Tea as some kind of Marco Polo. Holly and her company were passionately doing all that they could to help the tea industry in Japan. Even so, it is still a small business, and Holly believes it has to be. Almost all of her business is selling directly to passionate tea lovers. By keeping it small she can share their comments with the masters, and this, in turn, builds a very strong loyalty: the masters rely on her, customers depend on her, and the masters create for the customers. “We are in a very privileged position to be able to export these masters' teas to customers in 28 countries and counting,” she says.
In 2013 Chiki Tea moved to Buzen in Fukuoka Prefecture. Holly came on a cultural visa to study Yabunouchi school of tea ceremony, following several years of study with the Urasenke school of Sado. The immigration office actually suggested this path because they simply could not figure out what type of visa to give her, but they had a hunch she was going to be good for the tea industry's survival.
During that year of study, she completed her book Green is the New Black - the glorious rise of Japanese tea as well as establishing Chiki Tea Japan K.K., their Japanese subsidiary. The following year, after renovating a 150-year old building in Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture, she opened the Chiki Tea Cafe & Bakery.
The cafe was built not only as a test to see if they could gain traction in Japan, but also because she really wanted to export the very best matcha from Yame. However, to qualify, the producers wanted Chiki Tea to operate in Japan for at least a year, using their matcha. On January 2, 2014, she opened Chiki Tea in Nakatsu and operated it for two years using their matcha under their watchful eye.
After closing the test cafe to move to a more vibrant and bustling city, Holly headed to Kobe where she was asked to open a matcha bar in the heart of Sannomiya, which was destined to be torn down in about a year. She agreed, renovated a small unit, and operated that for about a year.
These two cafe experiences helped Chiki Tea validate their assumptions: foreigners were their market, not the Japanese! Most of our customers in Kobe were foreigners. As Holly put it, “ the Japanese were not interested in our sublime sencha and kabusecha teas - they had no clue what hon gyokuro was… they just wanted the homemade American cheesecake, British scones, and all the homemade sweet treats.”
Again, Holly adapted her business model to fully focus on the foreign market by shipping the best artisanal loose leaf teas and matcha from Japan. But as an entrepreneur, one company is never enough. After closing the cafe in Nakatsu, she co-founded an organic skincare company in England. 11:11 Limited, which uses the matcha from Yame as one of the key ingredients.
Holly also had some advice for today's Dolphins: When you grow up, you tend to get told that the world is the way that it is….that your life is just to live inside of this structured world and not make too many waves. And to play it safe and not take too many risks, but that is a very limited life!
Steve Jobs told me that life can be much broader when you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that are no smarter than you! You can change this life, and you can influence it, and you can build your own things that others can enjoy. Shake off this erroneous notion that life is there for you to just live in, versus embrace it, and improve it, and make your mark on it. Once you discover this, you will never be the same again.
Links to Chiki Tea and 11:11 Angel Organics
For the full Holly Helt interview Connections click here.