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About Us

Who we are:

JETAA Ottawa was founded in 1991 and is one of 52 JETAA chapters in 17 countries, which have over 70,000 members worldwide. We are alumni of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme and our members, located in and around Ottawa, have participated in the JET Programme as an Assistant Language Teacher or a Coordinator for International Relations.

What we do:

We promote deeper and stronger relations between Japan and Canada. Together with the Embassy of Japan in Canada, we help promote the JET Programme, assist with JET application interviews and pre-departure orientation, and offer support and information to JET alumni.


President Yeti
vicepresident@jetaaottawa.ca

Picture of a woman with a Japanese mascot

Yeti was an ALT on the JET Programme in Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture from 2015 to 2019. During that time she joined the Nagasaki Naginata club, was the editor (and later editor-in-chief) for the English magazine, the Nagazasshi, and discovered a love for trains. She holds a B.A in earychildhood and elementary education from Concordia University and is currently studying for her M.Ed at the University of Ottawa.


Vice President Shuaib Syed
president@jetaaottawa.ca

Shuaib Syed is a former junior high school ALT who worked on a series of wonderful islands known as Miyakojima within the subtropical prefecture of Okinawa. During his two and a half years there, he served as Representative for the OkiAJET group and Block leader for ALTs in Miyakojima. He has also been invited to lead workshops for the JET Post-Arrival Orientations in Tokyo on three occasions during 2018/2019. He holds a M.Sc. in Neurosciences from Carleton University and is slowly aiming for the N3 JLPT certification. His hobbies include calligraphy, rock-climbing and cooking


Treasurer Caitlan Wilson
treasurer@jetaaottawa.ca

Caitlan was an ALT for 5 years, 2014 – 2019, in Toyooka, a northern “city” in Hyogo Prefecture. During this time she enjoyed local festivals and experimented at baking without the normal supplies or equipment (i.e. cookies on a hot car’s dashboard). She holds a B.A. in Near Eastern & Classical Archaeology from Wilfrid Laurier and a M.Sc. in Human Osteology from the University of Sheffield.


Secretary Anna Rayner-Grignon
secretary@jetaaottawa.ca

Anna was an ALT for 5 years, 2010 – 2015, in Kumamoto and currently works for the Political Section in the Embassy of Japan. She enjoys reading, cooking, and very slowly preparing for the N1 JLPT. Having served as newsletter editor for the past few years, Anna has now taken on the Secretary role and looks forward to the new challenge.


Social Media Coordinator Zoe
media@jetaaottawa.ca

After completing 6 years on the JET Programme, positioned in Tokyo, Zoe decided to make the move to Ottawa and continue working in the education sector. Her hobbies include cooking, learning languages and re-watching old episodes of NHK programs.


Conference Coordinator Erica Long
specialevents@jetaaottawa.ca

Erica Long was an ALT on the JET Programme in Ashikita, a small town of 20,000 in Kumamoto Prefecture, from 2006 to 2011. She is originally from B.C. but on returning to Canada she moved to another small city of 20,000 in Canada’s north, Yellowknife. Since moving to Ottawa in 2016 she has enjoyed the many opportunities to become involved with JETAA Ottawa and other Japan related groups in the city


Webmaster Joshua Rose
web@jetaaottawa.ca

Joshua was an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) on the JET Programme in a small cluster of villages nestled in the far mountain reaches of Tokushima Prefecture, from 2015 to 2017. He holds a B.C.S., majoring in Computer Science with a minor in East Asian Studies from the University of Waterloo. He has passed the N3 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and enjoys continuing his Japanese studies with JETAA.