Ryan Hicks, a 2011 graduate, has been chosen to participate in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to graduate and actually have a full-time job waiting for me in this economy,” said Hicks, who majored in geography and minored in Japanese. “JET is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a freshman, so it’s still sinking in that I’m actually going to Japan. I still don’t believe it.”

Hicks will be working as an assistant language teacher in Saka, a city in Nagano prefecture. At one of the public junior high or high schools, he will be “team-teaching” with a Japanese teacher to help students learn English. This provides students with the opportunity to learn from a Japanese teacher as well as a native speaker.

“The main intent of the JET Program is to promote grassroots international exchange between Japan and other countries,” Hicks said. “My job will basically be to promote international exchange/understanding activities in the area.”

The JET program, which is sponsored by the Japanese government, provides Hicks with the opportunity to take Japanese classes and learn more about Japanese society from a different point of view. More than 5,000 U.S. citizens applied to participate in the JET program this year, according to Jessica Cork, advisor for educational and cultural affairs at Consulate-General of Japan in Atlanta.

“It’s really competitive to get into the JET program,” Cork said. “The fact that he was accepted into the program is incredible. We only have 46 people leaving from the southeast area. It’s a very prestigious and competitive program.”

Cork said one of the advantages of the JET program is that participants have the opportunity to get immersed in the culture of the country. Hicks is looking forward to seeing a part of Japan that he’s never seen before. Nagano is known for its Japanese Alps and ski resorts.

“I’ve never been to Nagano or Saku, so I’m hoping to see a different side of Japan than the highly-urbanized areas I grew accustomed to last time,” Hicks said. “I’m really interested in checking out some of the active volcanoes in the region and doing some climbing as well.”

This is the 25th year that the JET Program has taken place. The program lasts for one year, and then participants have the choice to stay for up to five years.

This will be Hicks’ second time traveling to Japan. Last year, he interned for the U.S. Department of State at one of the consulates in Japan.