I believe learning another language is an empowering and exciting way to expand your world. I didn't have access to any Japanese courses when I first wanted to learn as a high schooler, but once I went to college, I immediately took advantage of what I thought would be my only chance to study Japanese: I earned a BA in Japanese from Emory University and an MA in East Asian Languages and Cultures (with a focus in Japan) from Florida State University. While earning my MA I gained two years of experience teaching Japanese, and afterward I worked for two more years teaching Japanese at FSU before leaving to spend ten months living and working in Japan. I never forgot my initial frustration with having no access to Japanese courses, though, and that's why I'm so passionate and excited to be able to help new learners master Japanese through communicative, interactive, and engaging lessons that foster students' ability to authentically express themselves in Japanese. I like to help students not only learn the language with my guidance, but learn how to continue mastering the language on their own and explore how they can add Japanese to their lives. Outside of Japanese, my interests include all forms of visual storytelling (movies, TV, and comics), reading, and walking in nature.