Lake Forest Park student selected to teach English in Japan as part of college exchange program

From left,  front row, Dawn Wrychowski, Sydney Owen, Caitlyn Talbot;
back row, Nick Coney and Joel Trousdale.
Not pictured, Jeremy Odden and Gabrielle Nygaard.

McMINNVILLE OR – Six Linfield College seniors and an alumna will spend next year teaching English in Japan after being accepted to the prestigious Japanese Exchange Teaching (JET) program.

The students selected include Sydney Owen of Sandy; Caitlyn Talbot of Lake Forest Park, Wash.; Joel Trousdale of Hillsboro; Jeremy Odden of Seattle, Wash.; Dawn Wyruchowski of Kirkland, Wash.; and Nicholas Coney of Volcano, Hawaii. Gabrielle Nygaard, a 2013 Linfield graduate from Forest Grove, was also accepted to JET this year. While abroad, students will gain valuable work experience and explore the local culture. 

Talbot, a psychology major and Japanese minor, hopes to grow personally during the year, and develop skills in independence, self-confidence and awareness. She is looking forward to learning from others and contributing to the community. Following her JET experience, she’s considering graduate school to pursue a master’s in psychology or social work.

The JET program is an initiative sponsored by the Japanese government to promote internationalization at the grassroots level by bringing young, college-educated individuals to work in communities throughout Japan. Since 1987, more than 60,000 participants from countries around the world have come to Japan on the JET Program. JET participants work full-time as assistant language teachers in the public school system or as coordinators for international relations in local government offices.