Resident Assistants

Resident Assistants (RAs) attend local colleges full-time while living with groups of eight to 12 MFWI students. They serve as role models, mentors, and informal counselors. Responsible for leading tutorials four nights a week, RAs also plan activities and develop strong friendships with their students. Through interaction with the RAs, students have the opportunity to learn about the lives and thoughts of young American women. In turn, RAs experience Japanese culture and develop valuable intercultural communication skills.

More than 200 RAs have worked at MFWI since 1990. Each session, approximately 20 to 24 RAs are employed. Their majors have varied from journalism to pre-med. However, a majority of RAs major in areas related to education, languages, or international studies. Many RAs subsequently pursue teaching or internationally oriented careers. Some former RAs currently teach in Japan at Mukogawa Senior High School, in private language schools, or through the Japan Exchange Teaching Program. Still others work abroad in the Peace Corps and other service organizations.