To All Departing JETs:

Some of you have already left the prefecture for home or other more exotic locations, but I wanted to give you all one final message as your Prefectural Advisor. Some of you have been here for a year and I don’t personally know you as well, while others have been here longer than I have and we have shared memories of JETs past – but we all share one common experience. We have lived in the Ishikawa community and shared the same role in Ishikawa as educators, cultural representatives, and government workers. We have made friends and established what, for some, are life-long relationships. All generations of JETs share a connection through those that remain and those that continue on. All of you will be known to those that come after you. All of us, for better or worse, have left a mark on the people of Ishikawa and the members from the international community we have interacted with.

The little old lady at the supermarket you ran into everyday will remember you. That student you helped with extra tutoring, will remember you. Your soccer team members will remember you. Your Wednesday night class at the international center, they will remember you. That shy first-year who kept working up the courage to say hello to you at the bus-stop every morning will remember you. The owner of that hole-in-the-wall izakaya you frequented, and taught each other foul language, will remember you.

As educators, whether ALT or CIR, we not only brought language into the classroom but our personalities and world views. We have learned to get beyond language barriers, find new ways of communicating, and to keep smiling when we needed to. We brought our world to a group of people that may not have ever seen it otherwise. No matter how small the actions or intention, you have made a difference to someone here in Ishikawa. That is something to be proud of.

My hope for each and every one of you is that you will carry the experiences you’ve gained on the JET Programme forward - continuing to grow, continuing to remember what an international community feels like – into your imminent work and education. I hope that you remain in contact with the people you’ve met here and retain a connection to Japan, and especially Ishikawa over the course of your life. Please take time to reflect on what your tenure on the JET Programme has brought you and what it will mean to you in the future.

Thank you all for being positive representatives of your home countries and of the JET Programme. I wish all the best for each one of you in the future – whether that be remaining here in Japan, globe-trekking to parts unknown, or returning to your home countries full of experiences to pass on to those around you.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with you all.
Sincerely,
Tonya Eick