Teaching in Japan taught these Pitt people the value of intercultural community-building

For Stephen Wludarski, coordinator of the Japanese studies program, two years teaching in Japan led to lessons that continue to shape his work at the University.

While serving as an assistant language teacher in Kobe, Wludarski (pictured) taught students from elementary through junior high school and built relationships with people from around the world, who eventually became part of his community in Japan. Along the way, he also discovered a sense of adaptability and resilience that he carries with him today.

"I can't honestly think of an experience that shaped me more," said Wludarski (A&S '14, SCI '23G).

The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET) offers participants the opportunity to live and work supporting language education and international exchange in communities across Japan. Assistant language teachers work alongside educators in schools, while coordinators for international relations support exchange activities in local communities.

For 35-plus members of the Pitt community, the program has offered a chance to turn an interest in Japan into meaningful connections and new perspectives that lead to continued growth long after their time abroad.

Bringing the experience home

Wludarski earned his bachelor's in history and political science, with a focus on Japan and East Asia, from Pitt's Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Although he had been interested in Japan for years, he did not have the opportunity to study abroad during college. So, after hearing about JET from other Pittsburgh-area alumni, he decided to apply.

From 2016 to 2018, he worked at one junior high school and two elementary schools in Kobe. Outside the classroom, he completed a centuries-old pilgrimage route, helped start a nonprofit teaching English to young children and participated in a neighborhood festivals.

"Beyond just all of those cool things, I gained a real sense of adaptability, flexibility and resiliency that I didn't realize I had," Wludarski said.

Along with his role in the Asian Studies Center, Wludarski is the program manager for Pitt's National Consortium for Teaching About Asia coordinating site. He often finds himself drawing on his experiences in Japanese classrooms when working with educators and supporting Japan-related programming in both roles.

He also helps Pitt students explore the same opportunity that brought him to Japan by meeting individually with prospective applicants, hosting an annual JET information session and connecting participants with alumni as president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the JET Alumni Association.

For Wludarski, one of the program's greatest benefits is the opportunity to experience everyday life in another culture while building connections that go both ways.

"A real key to being a great JET is both telling folks about your culture, but also listening and learning about theirs, too," he said.

Finding community in the classroom

Bryn Lang (A&S '26) is experiencing those connections currently as an assistant language teacher at a Super Science High School - a prestigious national designation - in the country's Hyogo prefecture.

Lang, who earned degrees in neuroscience and Japanese from the Dietrich School, teaches 17 classes a week. This includes grammar, English communication and science-based English courses. She also helps students prepare to present their research in English, supports college entrance exam preparation and hosts an "English café" during lunch.

JET assisted Lang with her visa, travel and training, while her school helped arrange housing and navigate tasks such as opening a bank account and registering her residence in Japan.

Once she arrived, she discovered how much she enjoyed teaching itself.

"Teaching has been very fulfilling," Lang said. "Through comprehension checks, I know my students understand and listen to my explanations, and they always greet me when they see me in and out of school."

Her students and fellow teachers have helped her feel welcome, and her role at the school has become a way to connect with people in the wider community. She plans to seek a contract renewal for another year.

Connections keep growing

For Alicia Olalde (EDUC '97G), a JET alumna and director of global experiences at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, the relationships she formed in Japan have remained a part of her life and work.

The program placed Olalde in a small mountain town. She recalls a local woman who, despite speaking no English, taught her how to plant and harvest rice and shared its cultural significance through gestures and kindness.

"Understanding often comes through patience and presence rather than language," Olalde said.

That perspective continues to inform her work helping to create international opportunities for engineering students. She has also stayed connected with friends and colleagues from her JET years, including a Japanese colleague with whom she later exchanged guest lectures for their university classes.

A recent conversation with a former student reminded her how far those connections can reach. Olalde said the student, who now travels internationally for work, told her that knowing a JET participant had helped make working across cultures feel possible.

"It's an important reminder that each of our interactions can have longer-lasting effects than we will ever know," Olalde said.