University of West Georgia Students to Travel to Kagoshima, Japan in Exchange Program

Amanda Norman, Fayetteville, one of seven students traveling to Japan

A group of education majors from the University of West Georgia will take part in an exchange program that will take them to Japan and bring students from that country to UWG.

The seven students will travel to Kagoshima, on the southwestern tip of Kyushu Island, and stay for three weeks in May. They will study the culture of Japan, visit K-12 schools and attend classes taught in English at Kagoshima University, said Dr. Judy Butler, chair of the International Programs Committee for the College of Education.

“They are just wonderful hosts and this is a beautiful seaport,” Butler said. “We hope this will enlarge their view of other cultures.”

The Japanese students will arrive at the University of West Georgia in March and stay six weeks, Butler said.

The four UWG juniors making the trip are: Kelly Wolk, of Marietta; Jessica Scanlan, of Newnan; and Amber Rogers and Kathleen Fackler, both of LaGrange. 

The three seniors are: Amanda Norman, of Fayetteville; Whitney Johnson, of Carrollton; and LaCinda Adamson, of Bowdon.

“I’m really excited to experience something different,” said Wolk, who graduated from Pope High School in 2008. “It’s good to know what it’s like outside the U.S…. This will be three weeks of immersion in their culture.”

Dr. Walter Todd, director of the Japanese Exchange Program 2011 and a faculty member of UWG’s Leadership and Applied Instruction Department, and Dr. Tamra Ogletree, of Collaborative Support and Intervention, will accompany the students.

This is the second year that the University of West Georgia has sent exchange students to Japan, Butler said.

When the students return they will speak to classes about their trip. They will also complete several online assignments.

To participate, the students submitted applications to a selection committee and completed interviews.