MSU alumni selected for prestigious international JET program
Contact: Mary Pollitz
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Three Mississippi State alumni are headed to Japan as part of a highly competitive, international work exchange program.
The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, or JET, selects young professionals to experience Japanese culture while working in local schools, boards of education and government offices. The program typically receives 4,000-5,000 applications each year from American students, with 1,000-1,100 selected for participation.
This year’s MSU JET scholars include:
—Virginia Alexander of Dacula, Georgia, a spring 2026 business economics and foreign language graduate with concentrations in international business and Asian studies.
—Lily Grado of Starkville, a two-time MSU graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English.
—Kennedy Posey of Starkville, a 2021 music graduate.
Founded in 1987, the JET Program promotes internationalization in Japan’s local communities by improving foreign language education and fostering international exchange. Since its inception, JET has sent more than 80,000 participants from around the world, including nearly 39,000 Americans, to live and work throughout Japan.
Fumiko Joo, an associate professor in MSU’s Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures Department, plays a pivotal role in helping prepare MSU students for programs like JET.
“MSU has a strong record of placing graduates in this prestigious program,” she said. “Through coursework in Japanese language and culture, study abroad opportunities in Japan, and a variety of co-curricular activities, the Asian Studies concentration in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures equips students with the linguistic proficiency, intercultural competence and global perspectives needed to pursue a wide range of international career opportunities, including the JET program.”
Mentoring and advising for MSU applicants, nominees and finalists for nationally and internationally competitive scholarships is available from the university’s Office of Prestigious External Scholarships. For more information on how to apply, visit www.honors.msstate.edu/initiatives/office-prestigious-external-scholarships.