Clifton Strickler never thought of coming to Japan until he met his boss at the University of Texas while engaged in an undergraduate work-study. His boss lived in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, teaching English with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.

For Strickler, the JET program sounded like a golden opportunity for adventure. But his experience as a JET teacher went beyond that and cultivated a commitment to Japan — he went to Harvard Law School after completing his JET stint and accepted a Tokyo posting with his law firm, Latham & Watkins LLP.

"I had great nostalgia for Japan, and I wanted to relive the memory," said Strickler, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, who never lived outside of the U.S. before becoming a JET.