About us.
The Auckland JET Alumni Association (Auckland JETAA) was founded in 1998 as an organisation for past and current members of the Japan Government JET Programme. It is run by an executive committee and currently has about 400 members in its database. As one of several JET Alumni associations in New Zealand, Auckland JETAA covers the top half of the North Island.
Auckland JETAA’s primary purpose is to promote the JET programme and to help boost awareness of Japan in the greater Auckland region. Auckland JETAA works closely with the local Japanese Consulate to help select and prepare new JET participants for their time in Japan. We also have long standing relationships with the Japan Society (nihonjinkai), the New Zealand Japan Society of Auckland (NZJS), the Auckland City Council and other Japan related organisations in Auckland and throughout New Zealand.
We hold monthly committee meetings, social events and are always looking for ways to promote the New Zealand-Japan relationship.
Please take the time to look through our website for more information about who we are, what we do, and links to social media sites. Information on the JET programme can be found here.
Meet the team.
President | Vice-President | Secretary | Treasurer | Departing JETs Liaison | Social Media Manager | Webmaster | Country Representative
President - David Gillard-Allen
2018 - 2021 (Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture)
Experience on JET: Easily the best experience I’ve ever had. The personal connections formed on JET, I will treasure for the rest of my life.
My advice for DEPARTING JETs: When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Japan is purpose built for the Japanese, if you want to get the most out of it, shed your current skin and live as they do, it’ll open doors to the most exciting of places.
Vice-President - Ian Wu
2015 - 2017 (Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture)
Experience on JET: I was situated literally at the base of Mount Fuji, and worked at just the one Senior High School for my 2 years.
My advice for DEPARTING JETs: Get a motorised vehicle of some sort if you are in anything that isn’t a metropolis! Even if you are lucky everything is in walking distance, it will give you so much more independence in what you can see and do.
Secretary - Gaby Phan
2023 - 2025 ()
Experience on JET:
My advice to DEPARTING JETs:
Treasurer – Horace Yeung
2016 – 2017 (Otawara, Tochigi Prefecture)
Experience on JET:
My advice for DEPARTING JETs:
Departing JETs Liason - Helen Trinh
2015 - 2017 (Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture)
Experience on JET: Takayama City is off the beaten track, nestled in the Japanese Alps and has as much history and tradition as Kyoto. I was lucky enough to work only at 1 elementary school and 1 junior high school for the duration of my time in Takayama, so I had really solid relationships with the teachers I worked with and got to know the students pretty well due to my stable schedule. I was one of about 15 ALTs in the city and actually shared my junior high school with another American ALT. I’ve made lifelong friendships with fellow ALTs and the teachers and staff I worked with and am still in touch with some of the students I was fortunate enough to teach. Overall, my experience was quite positive with its own unique challenges and opportunities but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. My only regret is not eating more haha!
My advice for DEPARTING JETs: Save up and take as much money as you can to make your start up easier and be brutally honest and realistic with what you ACTUALLY need to pack in your suitcase. If you think you’ve culled enough, you haven’t, do it again. Because one day, you’re going to have to bring everything and more back….
Social Media Manager - Catherine Contrevida
2021 - 2024 (Iwamizawa City, Hokkaido prefecture)
Experience on JET: I had a unique experience during my time in JET since I was an intake that made it in the country during the COVID lockdown. Since a lot of us could only communicate online, I made a lot of long lasting friends through that before we could even see each other face to face. I was very lucky my group of friends in my city were so alike in our love of cats and everything in between. Even post jet where we have separated and gone our own ways we still communicate with each other everyday.
My advice for DEPARTING JETs: For those who are departing, and for people like me who had to take multiple suitcases as a solo person and lived in a more rural area outside of major cities, Kuroneko Yamato will be your best friend. A couple days before your flight, you can ship your luggage to the airport terminal you're departing from and pick them up once you get to the airport. If you have friends or family visiting you as well, make them carry some of your suitcases back home too. In total I sent home about 7 suitcases full of clothes, decor, and craft supplies.
Webmaster - Dewi Phan
2018 - 2021 (Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture)
Experience on JET: Kagoshima is known as the Nepal of Japan and was voted the place with the friendliest people and I can tell you both facts are correct! It is humid and hot there in the Summer with a mix of fresh ash from the active Volcano. The people are the nicest people around and will help a random stranger on the road even without being able to communicate. I loved my students and schools and I was lucky to have been to 5 junior high schools and visited 3 elementary schools. It's hard work in communicating and managing the teachers to talk to you about classes but its all about boundaries and communication channels (I used LINE and visited them when I was at school). For me: the friends I made, the students I taught and the teachers I worked with made this experience and I don't regret even though I experienced every low you could have in Japan (mental, physical, social and medical situations).
My advice for DEPARTING JETs: Go with minimal expectation and lots of researched knowledge so you don't get blindsided by things. Just expect a job, schools and a place to stay. Everything else is a bonus. ^_^
NZ Country Representative - Charlotte Tse
20 - 2023 ()
Experience on JET:
My advice for DEPARTING JETs: