20260619 Triple-F: Foreign Faculty Force

We have had to revise the name of the team to Foreign Faculty Force, as we now have six members, making Foreign Faculty "Five" obsolete. With the departure of Ben-Sensei in March, two new members have joined the team: Franz-Sensei and Christian Sensei. So, from right to left in the photo below, the team members are Franz-sensei, Christian-sensei, Arie-sensei, Katlyn-sensei, Jon-sensei and Kivi-sensei. Below you can see their self-introductions to get to know them better.

Franz-sensei -- Hi, I'm Franz from the Philippines, and I've been living in Japan for seven years. I like traveling and I also love taking photos and videos of my adventures. Nice to meet you!

Christian-sensei -- Mabuhay! I'm Christian from the Philippines. I've been in Japan for 9 years now, but it's my first time teaching in high school. I'm loving it so far, though. Living in Japan for so long already made me love a lot of Japanese things like food, festivals, and the culture. I can also communicate a bit in Japanese and am still trying to learn more. Don't be shy to say "hello" or "konnichiwa" if you see me around.

Arie-sensei -- Hi! I’m Arieboke Koma — a curious soul born in Zimbabwe in the early '90s, now working and exploring life in Japan. In 2015, I graduated from university with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science. I have the ability to speak over five languages.I enjoy watching movies on Netflix during my spare time.Traveling to new places around Japan always excites me. Oritsu Beach is my current favorite spot in Kashima.This is where the sea breeze feels refreshing and peaceful.

Katlyn-sensei -- Hello! My name is Katlyn and I am from Ridgewood, New Jersey. I graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Sociology and Environmental Studies. In my free time, I like to play bassoon, cook, and read. I love traveling in Japan and trying new food.

Jon-sensei -- Hello! I'm Jonathan Swetnam, but please call me Jon. I'm from Stoke-on-Trent in the United Kingdom and studied Forensic Science at Nottingham Trent University. Before becoming a teacher, I served in the British Army, but now I prefer teaching English to marching around! I first visited Japan on holiday and loved the country, the culture, and especially the food, so I decided to come back and teach here. I hope to stay for many years to come. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone, having fun in class, and helping students enjoy learning English. And yes—I drink plenty of tea!

Kivi-sensei -- Born in Finland, raised in Canada, I will bury my bones here in Japan in the distant future. I graduated from Trinity Western University in Canada with a Bachelor's in Geography with a Concentration in English Literature. I’ve been in Japan for over 30 years, and love almost everything about the country. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies, creating and listening to music, reading, and taking photographs. On sunny days off, I enjoy going for long rides on my motorcycle. On rainy days, I stay at home wishing it was sunny. Let's have a fantastic year together!