Meet the Team

Meet your new Ehime AJET Team! This year, we have three new roles: Vice President, Secretary and Mikan Blog Writer/Copy Editor! We’ve also split up the roles of Treasurer and Scholarship Chair. Our team has grown 👏! With more hands on deck, our goal is to better support our little Mikan community through organizing more events for everyone to enjoy, building a stronger sense of community, and making all resources that might make your time here in Ehime as a JET a little easier, more accessible. We hope to do our best to foster a rewarding experience for Ehime JETs (and those beyond the Mikan prefecture, too)!

We look forward to serving as your AJET board for this year! 🍊

よろしくお願いします!  🙏 

President
Pengxue Vang

Vice President
Benn Rapson

Secretary
Miya Jia

Treasurer
Bria Hemphill

Scholarship Chair
Christian Olson

Event Coordinators
Dillon Flores, Rye Paeste

Sports Coordinator
Freya Gregor

Social Media & Website Coordinator
Ashlee Childers-Lopez

The Mikan Blog Editor
Gizelle Alvarez-Janzso

The Mikan Blog Writer & Copy Editor
Justin Dobbs

President

Pengxue Vang (Kirb, Kirbs, Kirbo)
Planet Popstar → Matsuyama (Hojo) 

I be Kirb.

Vice President

Benn Rapson 
Scotland → Uchiko

Hey folks! My name is Benn and I use he/him pronouns. I am originally from the very rainy, but lovely, nation of Scotland. My hobbies include; gaming, volunteering, anime, and politics. I’m a Senior High School ALT based in Uchiko Town and I am just finishing up my first fab year on the JET Programme.

I’m the new Vice President of Ehime AJET and I’m really looking forward to working with the team to enhance the JET experience across Ehime. My priorities for the year ahead are to ensure Ehime AJET is fit for the future and I’ll be looking at different ways to make AJET more impactful across Ehime.

Additionally, I’m also the Co-Director of Community Relations for AJET at the National level where I have recently developed a new Volunteer Recognition System, which I would encourage you to check out! If you ever need anything from me, please don’t hesitate to reach out! ✌️🍊

Secretary

Miya Jia
Chicago, IL, U.S. → Matsuyama (Ehime Prefectural Office & EPIC)

 

Hi everyone! I’m Miya, a 3rd year CIR in Matsuyama. This will be my second year on AJET and I’m excited to continue working with the team!

Treasurer

Bria Hemphill (she/her)
Central New York, U.S. → Matsuyama

Hi, Hi!My name is Bria Hemphill, I am a second-going-on-third year ALT with the Matsuyama City BOE. This will be my second year on AJET, but this time around I will be focused on Treasury affairs! 

 

Please show our scholarship some love and donate when you can! Everything counts! 

 

 Some other things about me:

-Karaoke/music 🎶

Outdoorsy thing🌱

-Cafe and study girlie 📚

Scholarship Chair

Christian Olson
 Colorado, U.S. → Matsuyama

Hello, I’m Christian! I’m a first year ALT in Matsuyama who studied history and the social sciences in college. I like reading the books your dad likes to read, watching movies and basketball, and playing video games. I enjoy hiking, visiting castles and shrines, and generally geeking out about Japanese history while exploring!

Dillon Flores
Miami, Florida, U.S. → Matsuyama 

Favorite Mascot/Character: 

Hello everyone, my name is Dillon, you can call me Dill as well if you like. I am non-binary but don’t use specified pronouns, therefore I go by any/all pronouns. I am 25 years old, born on December 4th, and a Sagittarius. I am a first year ALT in Matsyama. I am from America. I was born in Miami, Florida. I am half Cuba and American. I speak English, Spanish, and Japanese. My hobbies are drawing, painting, playing video games, volleyball, meeting new people, cooking, anime, travelling and fashion and so many more things but you can message me to find out more.

 I am your new event coordinator for AJET and I look forward to creating and hosting lots of cool events in the upcoming year. My goal as an event coordinator is to bring everyone from Shikoku together, make new friends, and do fun new activities with not onlyy the JET community but also the Japanese community. Also if you just want to talk, I am here for anyone and everyone. Thanks a million.

Event Coordinators

Rye Paeste (she/her)
Manila, Philippines → Matsuyama

I’m Rye from Manila, Philippines. I’m an incoming 2nd year JET. I like finding hole in the wall cafes, especially with industrial interior design.

Sports Coordinator

Freya Gregor (she/they)
London, U.K. → Ozu

I was the Sports Co-ordinator last year as well, and this year I want to continue expanding on the work we started then. We began the interprefectural football (soccer) tournament as well as the ski trip to Hiroshima. As such, my focus is ensuring that we run these events, along with the rugby tournament in Tokushima. 

Beyond this, I want to work closely with the other AJETs of Shikoku to organise more interprefectural sports events. I strongly believe that these interprefectural sports events are a fantastic way to make friends beyond Ehime. 

I’d also like to focus on promoting the local sports teams we have in Ehime this year, such as the Mandarin Pirates for baseball. Spectating these teams is a great way to feel part of the community of Ehime at large, and can provide for great evenings out with friends!

Social Media & Website Coordinator

Ashlee Childers Lopez
California, USA → Catania, Italy → Matsuyama

I chose to be on AJET because I wanted to help with the website and social media accounts as someone who loves being on the computer. I also wanted to do what I can to give back to the group that’s given me so many oppourtunities and fun things to do while I’ve been in Japan. 

My main goal in this position on Ehime AJET is to update the website, head the Discord chat, Facebook, and Instagram pages. I also want to have more Discord related events to help bring people from all over Ehime together!

The Mikan Blog Editor

Gizelle Alvarez-Janzso (she/her)
The 6ix (iykyk), Canada → Toon, Ehime

I’m a SHS ALT coming onto my fourth year on JET! EHHHH!? CRAZY! My time in this lovely prefecture has been short but most definitely sweet🍊

 

With my chapter as a ALT in the mikan prefecture nearing its end, I hope to get a little more involved in our little community through AJET and the Mikan Blog. Not only do I want to reminisce and share my own experiences and knowledge as a senior JET, I want to encourage and help other JETs share their varied experiences and know-how, as well. 

 

As an introvert, especially, I’ve always found the Mikan to be a comfortable way to stay connected. I hope that with my time on Ehime AJET, the Mikan Blog will continue to be a safe space for fellow JETs to share, learn, & vibe, together!  

The Mikan Blog Writer & Copy Editor

Justin Dobbs
Canton, Georgia, U.S.→ Shikokuchuo, Ehime

I joined the AJET team as the content writer becuase I want to help make life in the mikan prefecture more engaging via our shared experiences. I feel that there are so many untold stories about what JET is like right here in Ehime. From the unique challenges of living abroad to the many events and locations hidden across the island, there is never a shortage of things to share and discover. 

That’s why I’d like to continue making the Mikan Blog a place where JETs, new and old, can discover a greater sense of purpose and involvemnt. While this program may be temporary, the legacy we can leave via solid, well written, and inspiring content is something that will last well after we go our seperate ways. That, I think, is the heart of why creating this kind of space is so important.