The MAJET Committee

MAJET events are organized by volunteers listed below from various cities in Miyazaki.

From developing resources to organizing events and connecting people with opportunities, we’re working hard to make your time in Miyazaki the best it can be! MAJET’s purpose is to serve the community, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of us if you have questions, feedback, or suggestions you’d like to share.

Executive Team

Here are the people that make up the MAJET committee, don’t be afraid to contact us with questions!

Ben Hammond

5th year ALT
Hometown: Atlanta, USA
Current town: Miyazaki City
him/his/he

Welcome to Miyazaki! I’m an ALT in Miyazaki City, but I like to travel around a lot. I love painting, making movies, and going on hikes. Please come join MAJET events! Hope to see you there.

Carley Timmerman

5th year ALT
Hometown: Chicago, USA
Current town: Ebino City
she/her/hers

Hey there! I’m an ALT all the way out in Ebino! I love traveling, listening to music, and taking pictures. I also enjoy cooking (and eating) delicious food! I like playing tennis and doing yoga, but I enjoy other sports as well. You might recognize me from the MAJET posts on Instagram and Facebook. I hope to see everyone at MAJET events throughout the year.

Ryan Laguatan

5th year ALT
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Current town: Miyazaki City
he/him

Hey, what’s up! I’m Ryan, I’m a high school ALT in Miyazaki City. My interests are pop culture, music, street fashion, sneakers, fitness and martial arts. Feel free to hit me up about anything! I love talking to everyone!

Krystin Gutierrez

4th year ALT
Hometown: Colorado Springs, USA
Current town: Saito
she/her/hers

Hello! I’m a prefectural ALT living in Saito. I love traveling, cafe hopping, drawing, and other creative things! I also like hiking, yoga, reading, and listening to music. I hope to see you at the MAJET events!

Tyler Logsdon

4th year ALT
Hometown: Chicago, USA
Current town: Miyazaki City
he/him/his

Hello! I’ve been in Miyazaki now for two years, and I have loved every minute of it! I live in the city, and am so thankful that I get the chance to explore and find new places every day! I love to go for walks at the many parks around the prefecture, take trips to the onsen and relax, try my hand at cooking new dishes, and sometimes just relax at home with a good book or video game. You can often find me at Japanese/English conversation cafes around the cities, where you can meet and chat with Japanese people and foreigners who live here. I can’t wait to see everyone at the MAJET events, lets have fun in Japan!

Caitlyn

2nd year ALT
Hometown: Fenton, Michigan, USA
Current town: Kobayashi City
she/her/hers

Hello! My name is Caitlyn. In my free time I enjoy hiking, finding hidden wonder sin the Japanese countryside, and trying out new recipes. Having a community is important so I hope to see you around!

Jake Vigilante

2nd year ALT
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Current Town: Miyazaki City

How’s it going? My name is Jake Vigilante and I’m excited to be living in Miyazaki City. At first I had no idea where or what Miyazaki was but I’ve come to love the city and the people I’ve met here. I enjoy traveling, exploring new places, and connecting with new people. If you ever see me around, don’t by shy!

Carissa Lueth

2nd year ALT
Hometown: Springfield, Massachusetts
Current Town: Mimata Town
she/her/her

Heyhey! This is my second year in Miyazaki. The climate here in Miyazaki is the exact opposite of where I lived in America – I love snow and winter, so it was difficult to adjust to the heat at first. Mimata Town covers a large area geographically, but has comforting, small town energy. The communities here are very closely connected. There is not much, if any English available throughout the town, which makes Japanese language learning incredibly easy. When I’m not at school with students, you can find me at the gym training for a powerlifting competition, studying Japanese at the local library, at brass band or jazz band rehearsal, or traveling throughout Asia, volunteering at various farms. I love learning about the people, cultures, and communities around me. Let’s chat in English and/or Japanese sometime!

Caitlin Aldridge

1st year ALT
Hometown: Oklahoma, America
Current City: Miyazaki city
she/her/hers

Hi, I’m Caitlin! This is my very first year as an ALT, but I’ve already come to love Miyazaki. I love reading, traveling, cafe hopping, and doing ceramics. I’ve already met so many great people here and cant wait to meet even more! I hope to see you around 😀