Once a JET, Always a JET: An Alumni Partnership Decades in the Making
Jerry Talandis Jr. (Toyama Prefecture 1993-1996)
Ingrid Galinat (Toyama Prefecture 2000-2001)
Interviewed by Marco Blasco (Aomori, 2021-2024)
If you don't believe in destiny, then you should join the JET Program.
Through my years on JET and in my alumni life after, I have heard countless stories of chance meetings, coincidental connections, and life changing opportunities. Perhaps this isn't destiny- perhaps it is community in action. I am always amazed by the stories that come from the JET Program and the webs weaved by the connections we make through it.
One of those fascinating stories is that of Jerry Talandis Jr. and Ingrid Galinat. Though years apart during their time on JET, their shared placement on the program brought them together, and cultivated a partnership between two universities across the world.
Jerry with Toyama friends during his JET years.
Jerry graduated from American University in 1986 and worked as a mental health counselor after college. He worked for five years, but ultimately decided to switch to teaching. During his time in western Massachusetts, where he was living prior to his time on the JET Program, he connected with the Japanese community there, and experienced things like making mochi and learned some Japanese customs. Eventually, this led him to the JET Program, where he thought he’d spend three years teaching before returning to get his graduate degree.
Ingrid graduated with an international affairs degree from Kennesaw State University in 1999, and while she originally wanted to go somewhere Spanish speaking, she ended up taking a risk and heading to Japan on the JET Program.
Both of them were placed in Toyama Prefecture, Ingrid in the town of Kureha and Jerry in Toyama City. Ingrid was on the JET Program for one year from 2000 to 2001 before returning to America. Jerry participated for three years, from 1993 to 1996, and settled down in Toyama with his wife after that. So while they never overlapped during their time on JET, their mutual connection to Toyama miraculously brought them together more than twenty years later.
Ingrid (center) with Kureha students during JET.
Ingrid's JET experience led to her continued interest in international education. After JET, she worked in various positions in international education and currently works for Jacksonville State University as the Director of International Programs. She was searching for a university exchange partnership in January of 2025, and having Toyama and Japan close to her heart, stumbled upon an old website: toyamajets.net. The last post on this website was from 2021, however, on the alumni section of the website, there is a comment from Jerry Talandis written six years ago.
This was Jerry's message: "Hello! My name is Jerry Talandis Jr. I was an ALT in Toyama from 1993 to 1996, and I never left! I’m currently teaching English at the University of Toyama. If there are any new JETs out there who could use some advice or someone to listen to, I’m all ears."
Jerry and Ingrid at University of Toyama formalizing their exchange agreement.
And six years later, Ingrid found this. She reached out to Jerry, and he connected Ingrid with the Director of International Education and Exchange of the University of Toyama. In September of last year, a member of University of Toyama came to Ingrid's school to visit. The president of Jacksonville State University then signed the joint agreement for the exchange program between the two schools. Ingrid visited University of Toyama and in October 2025, the president of University of Toyama signed off on the agreement as well. In the fall of 2026, Jacksonville State University will receive its first exchange student from the University of Toyama. Ingrid is now working to bring American students to Toyama in Summer 2027, and foster a healthy exchange program for both universities.
All of this came to be because of a JET Program connection.
Jerry remarked that sometimes it really feels like life happens on its own accord. He wrote the message many years ago, and never really thought about it again. Yet because of Ingrid's shared connection to Toyama, and because she found Jerry’s message, how many future students' lives will be changed?
Jerry at an office party during JET.
Talking to Ingrid and Jerry at the same time really helped remind me of the breadth of experience that the JET Program can offer, and that the quality of the experience is more important than the length of it. On paper, Ingrid and Jerry's paths after JET were very different. Jerry told me that when he came to Japan to visit a few years before his time on the JET Program and was relaxing in a hot spring, he knew that he was going to live here. Jerry has been in Japan for around 30 years now, and has made himself a part of the local community in Toyama, and established a family and a successful career.
Ingrid’s JET journey was shorter, saying that her boyfriend back home was waiting for her. That boyfriend, however, is now her husband of 22 years, so her decision to go back after a year was well worth it. Even so, Japan remained close to her heart and mind. She is the Alabama Sub-Chapter rep for JETAASE, and she even recently interviewed JET candidates. In October, she took her two daughters to Japan with her. Ingrid said that her 12-year-old is already telling her that she wants to study Japanese in university and live in Japan. Her path on JET led her to be more interested in international education, and clearly that interest has spread.
Ingrid with her student and fellow teacher on Sport’s Day.
Each JET's experience is valuable, and the ripples in the pond of that experience can have consequences we can't imagine. It's a lesson in both responsibility and opportunity, and a reminder that what we do during our time on JET matters and can have long lasting effects. For Ingrid, her experience showed her that she loved working with international students and their experiences. For Jerry, he found a new home and never looked back.
It was really neat to see them remark how something like a charity theater show that Jerry had done the fundraising for during his time was still going on when Ingrid was there. This is an event that brings together both the local Japanese people and the JETs in the area for fundraising and performance. The cultural memory of a place is strong, and one of the main drivers for the connections between JETs.
In both their personal and professional lives, Jerry and Ingrid remarked how their JET experience shaped them. When I asked about the lessons they learned and what advice they had for current JETs and JET alumni, they both encouraged JETs to learn as much as they could about the language and the culture of Japan. Jerry remarked that JETs should investigate the differences between a collectivist society like Japan and an individualist society like the US. It can be the biggest source of culture shock for a lot of people, and understanding the fundamental differences can really help.
Jerry (back right) with fellow JETs and friends.
Ingrid talked about embracing the experience, as it is what makes JETs unique. She said to use that experience in whatever field and position you go into after JET. Even if you don't go into an international field, successfully completing the JET Program shows that you are adaptable, flexible, and open to new things. Few people can say they've done something like the JET Program, so use it to your advantage.
They both urged JETs to keep that unique part of them alive, combining the best of your culture with the best of the experience. As their story shows, the connections are some of the best parts of the experience, and they can come alive years later than we might expect. As Ingrid said, it doesn't matter how long you are out of the program, you're always an alumni.
About Ingrid Galinat (Toyama, 2000-2001)
Ingrid Galinat is Director of International House and Programs at Jacksonville State University, where she supports international students, advances global engagement and develops international partnerships. She served on the JET Program in 2000 to 2001 in Toyama Prefecture, living and working in Kureha and teaching English at Kureha High School. Her year in Japan was pivotal in shaping her professional direction and inspired her to pursue a career in international education focused on study abroad, student support and cross-cultural exchange.
Ingrid remains actively involved in the JET community as the Alabama sub-chapter lead for JETAA Southeast. She continues to share her connection to Japan with her family including two daughters, ages 12 and 16, and a son age 12 sparking a new generation of interest in Japanese language and culture. Ingrid lives in Alabama with her husband and their three children.
About Jerry Talandis Jr. (Toyama, 1993-1996)
Jerry Talandis Jr. is a JET Program alum who served as an Assistant Language Teacher in Toyama Prefecture from 1993 to 1996. Based at the Toyama Prefectural Board of Education, he taught in junior high and high schools around Toyama City. During his second year on JET, he married a local Japanese woman and has since made Toyama his home, where he and his wife raised two children.
Jerry has worked in English education throughout his career and is now a professor at the University of Toyama, teaching English conversation and writing. With retirement on the horizon, he looks forward to remaining active in the community and continuing to enjoy life in Toyama, where he has lived for most of his adult life.
The Senpai Spotlight series features JET alumni from the US who have made successful careers for themselves in various fields—with the goal of inspiring JETs and JET alumni to pursue their own dreams while also offering some words of advice only a senpai could know.
If you, or someone you know, would like to be featured as a Senpai Spotlight, please reach out to us at contact@usjetaa.org.
This edition of Senpai Spotlight was written by Marco Blasco, a writer and editor based in snowy northern Japan. Originally from America, his interest in Japanese culture and religion brought him to Japan through the JET Program in 2021, where he has made a second home for himself.
