{"id":3862,"date":"2024-10-09T13:07:06","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T17:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/owltopia\/?p=3862"},"modified":"2024-11-15T09:24:58","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T14:24:58","slug":"from-study-abroad-to-global-career-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/owltopia\/2024\/10\/09\/from-study-abroad-to-global-career-success\/","title":{"rendered":"From Study Abroad to Global Career Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two drastically different paths brought Jordan Sievers<\/strong> (TUJ \u201913, TFMA \u201914<\/em>) and Miranda Liu<\/strong> (TUJ ’10, Bryn Mawr ’12<\/em>) to Temple University, Japan Campus during their undergrad years. A decade later, they are both back in Japan where they have found career success in the very place they studied abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their success in establishing a global career is no surprise. According to NAFSA (International Educators Association), \u201cStudying abroad is a unique educational experience that provides global learning opportunities that are critical to a student\u2019s success in the 21st century.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From studying abroad to working abroad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jordan Sievers lived much of his life in Philadelphia and for his junior year, he transferred to Temple University. At that point, he had never traveled, and he did not have a passport. His future changed when he encountered someone from the Education Abroad office who asked him if he had ever thought about studying abroad. Sievers had not, but his interest was piqued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was looking for something new, but as a film and media arts major in his junior year, his options were limited. The campus that best accommodated his needs was Temple University Japan, and the available scholarship opportunities made the idea even more enticing. As his senior year began, Jordan left for Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miranda Liu\u2019s path to study abroad was quite different. Studying in Japan was always her plan. Her identity as an Asian-American led to an interest in Japanese culture that began in her youth. Following up on that interest, at Bryn Mawr College she majored in East Asian studies. When it came time to realize her study abroad dream, the streamlined application process between Bryn Mawr and Temple and the alignment of their academic calendars made TUJ the perfect choice.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Miranda Liu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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\u201cIt felt like stepping into a hot bath (to come to Japan)\u2026I am suddenly in a society that fits the mindset that I have been in my whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miranda Liu, TUJ ’10, Bryn Mawr ’12<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Arrival Abroad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once in Japan, both Liu and Sievers began to see their ties to Japan laying the groundwork for their future careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liu found great comfort in seeing cultural values she was raised with replicated in Japanese society. At Temple, she connected with professors who provided formative guidance in her studies, both inspiring her eventual thesis and providing Japanese language learning support. Tokyo felt like home, and she left with a desire to return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt felt like stepping into a hot bath (to come to Japan)\u2026 I am suddenly in a society that fits the mindset that I have been in my whole life,\u201d said Liu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sievers\u2019 time in Japan was equally formative. In a new and unfamiliar place, he found exactly what he hoped for\u2013a place he loved. Through TUJ\u2019s internship program, he was selected as a staff writer with The Japan Times, Japan’s largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. As he prepared to return to Temple Main Campus for his final semester, Jordan became aware of opportunities to teach English in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Returning to Japan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, while Liu and Sievers took different paths to Japan, their returns were remarkably similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sievers knew he could go back to Japan to teach English, and six months after graduating, he returned to do exactly that. He accepted a position with Interac, an English language instruction company. This placement was the first step of his career in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey offered me a position which was literally right next to where I lived while at TUJ, and I thought that was fate\u2026 I took that as a sign and accepted, and I\u2019ve been here ever since,\u201d said Sievers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liu knew of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET Programme) well before she studied in Japan, and her time at TUJ solidified her desire to apply. She was selected, and was placed in rural Japan to teach English, immediately feeling comfortable and confident after her time at TUJ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt had been what I was hoping to do for my entire adolescence and young adult life,\u201d said Liu.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Jordan Sievers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n

\u201cThey offered me a position which was literally right next to where I lived while at TUJ, and I thought that was fate\u2026 I took that as a sign and accepted, and I\u2019ve been here ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jordan Sievers, TUJ \u201913, TFMA \u201914<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Liu and Sievers saw their English teaching positions as a foot in the door, as neither could see themselves teaching long term. But their respective returns to Japan confirmed one thing \u2013 this is where they wanted to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transitioning into Permanent Careers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With their desire to be in Japan affirmed, Liu and Sievers looked to transition into permanent careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is that feel-good feeling that you\u2019re contributing to children\u2019s education,\u201d Liu said, describing her desire to work in schools. Liu did not want to teach, but the JET Programme showed her the value of working in a school. She found this opportunity working in admissions with K. International School Tokyo (KIST), a pre-K-12 school in Tokyo. She worked at KIST for four years, and now works for The American School in Japan where she is the alumni coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sievers taught English for two years, and in the second year he began applying to jobs in Japan. At the time, Rakuten, a Japanese technology conglomerate, was changing their company operating language to English and needed native English speakers to compose company documents in English. Here, Sievers found his internship writing for The Japan Times invaluable. It helped him begin a career with a major Japanese company. He worked for Rakuten for seven years \u2013 eventually becoming a project manager, accumulating skills that have since allowed him to transition to his most recent role as a game development project manager with Wizcorp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on Study Abroad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In reflecting on how they have achieved career success in Japan, Liu and Sievers both referenced TUJ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am working in Japan, speaking Japanese, working on really cool Japanese video games\u2026 I would never have thought that I could do that and it\u2019s all thanks to study abroad,\u201d said Sievers, emphasizing how study abroad changed his life by opening a door he could have never predicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Liu, Temple gave her what she hoped for. She had known she would study in Japan since childhood, and TUJ lived up to all her expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTemple provided the foundation for me to come to Japan and feel safe and empowered and thrive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For two people whose motivations to study abroad differed dramatically, Temple University Japan was the common denominator. Thanks to their TUJ experience, there are now two young professionals who have built successful careers in a foreign country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Tyler Hugo, (CLA \u201824), Education Abroad Peer Advisor (2023-2024)
and Temple Rome Alumni Assistant (2024-2025)
Photos provided by Jordan Sievers and Miranda Liu<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two drastically different paths brought Jordan Sievers (TUJ \u201913, TFMA \u201914) and Miranda Liu (TUJ ’10, Bryn Mawr ’12) to Temple University, Japan Campus during their undergrad years. A decade later, they are both back in Japan where they have found career success in the very place they studied abroad.<\/p>\n

6 MIN READ<\/p>\n

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