Honors, Awards, & Recognition

  • Full Graduate Assistantship in the Hawai‘i English Language Program (HELP), Department of Second Language Studies, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa — 2012-2014
  • Department Merit Based Scholarship, Department  of Second Language Studies, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa — 2011-2013
  • Among the first participants in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET Programme) to be selected for a fourth and fifth year of employment with their contracting organization, a distinction that is only possible in special cases when “the contracting organisation deems [the participant’s] work performance, level of experience, and ability to be of an exceptionally high standard” (JET Programme General Information Handbook; available online) — 2008 & 2009
  • Chosen to serve as the sole special coordinator for the Saga Prefecture Summer English Activities Seminar in Karatsu, Japan, a special seminar for training Japanese elementary school teachers to manage English activity classes, in response to new education legislation that was passed at the time — 2007
  • Founding member and resident of the Vista House at Furman University (http://www.mcfinc.org/vistahouse/), with service learning as an instructor for the Greenville Literacy Association, teaching English as a second language to immigrants in Greenville, South Carolina — 2003-2004