Kathryn Manning is a past Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program participant from 2014-2017. She resided in a small seaside town in Northeastern Japan, where she taught English to children at the kindergarten, elementary, and middle school levels. In addition to teaching English as a foreign language, she was also an active member of a community taiko drumming group as well as an avid runner, completing her first half-marathon in the port city of Hakodate, Hokkaido. Currently she resides in Staunton, Virginia, after obtaining her master's degree in TESOL Education at James Madison University. In addition to maintaining her Japanese through weekly Charlottesville language meetups, she has also begun learning ASL, as her part of her next journey working at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind.

Maria is a Return Peace Corps Volunteer having served in Zambia as a Primary School Teacher as well as Vice President of the Zambia Malaria Committee. During her time in Zambia she taught English and substituted in science, math and social studies classrooms for middle and high school aged youth. Additionally she took on projects such as grant writing for local community projects, developing a girl empowerment camp and co-leading Malaria education and monitoring for Peace Corps in Zambia.

Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Dereck Rhoads holds two master degrees and a doctorate in educational administration, policy and leadership from Seton Hall University. Dr. Rhoads is the Executive Director the Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA). AASSA provides service and leadership to the American and International schools from Mexico through Central and South America including the Caribbean. AASSA schools are all accredited in the U.S. and offer American standards-based programs as well as International Baccalaureate programs with English as the primary language of instruction. Dereck has served on boards for many associations and journals and fully understands the dynamics of preparing students for the demands of a global marketplace. Dr. Rhoads developed and runs a Leadership Institute for aspiring school principals, is an adjunct professor teaching courses in curriculum, instruction, and research. He is a consultant in the areas of STEM, leadership development, and school performance. Dereck spent 12 years as a teacher and principal in Brazil and Mexico. He has led both private and public schools. Dereck is married and has two daughters. His wife, Alisa, is an expert in literacy and ESOL and assists schools in the U.S. and internationally meet the needs of multilingual learners. Alisa and Dereck have two daughters who were born in Brazil and now attend high school and University in the U.S.