Our team is available for walk-in meetings or by appointment to help you plan your study away, get started on the Global Awareness Program, or answer your questions.
Karen Miller,
Director
Janette Jasperson,
Study Away Coordinator
913-469-8500 x3470
[email protected]
Janette Jasperson wants to help you leave Kansas City! Whether you are traveling within the U.S. or jetting off to another country, your college years are your time to explore the Blue Marble that we all call home. Janette has been advising JCCC study away students and helping faculty plan study away programs for over 20 years. She herself has traveled in Europe, East Africa, and South America.
Janette earned degrees in history at Kansas State University and the University of Minnesota and is proud to be a historian-at-large. Besides reading and petting her cat, Janette’s favorite thing to do is to talk with students, so come chat with her about your next adventure!
Queen Wilkes,
Global Awareness Program Coordinator
913-469-8500, ext. 7828
[email protected]
Emiko D. Asakawa,
Global Engagement Coordinator
913-469-8500
[email protected]
Emiko D. Asakawa is passionate about deepening her understanding of the richness and value that each culture holds. She loves culture, travel, languages, and world foods, and hopes to inspire you to love those too! Her passion for international studies was sparked when she went to Osaka, Japan as a high school student ambassador in the San Francisco - Osaka Sister City Association Student Ambassador Program. She had the chance to connect with students from Japan and Australia and realized that despite where they were from, inside they were the same.
She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of California, San Diego with a major in International Studies - Political Science. Emiko has taught English in Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) and has also worked as an immigration paralegal. In her free time, she loves exploring new places and learning how to paint.
Miho Kawashita
Visiting Japanese Activities Coordinator
913-469-8500, ext. 2171
[email protected]
Miho Kawashita is excited to share interesting and unique aspects of Japanese culture with you! She is originally from Miyazaki, Japan. She visited the US for the first time at age 11 and experienced a 10-day homestay in California. This experience sparked her interest in exploring different cultures and societies.
She earned a degree in sociology from the University of Tsukuba in Japan. She worked at JCCC as a Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) coordinator through the Japan Outreach Initiative Program from 2024 to 2026. She currently serves as a Visiting Japan Activities Coordinator at JCCC.
She offers the following Japan-related presentations, activities, and workshops:
- Calligraphy
- Origami
- Kimono & Yukata (traditional Japanese clothing)
- Chopsticks & Japanese food culture
- Business culture in Japan
- School life in Japan
- Support for students preparing to travel to Japan
- Other topics available upon request!
If you’re interested in inviting her to your class, program, or workshop, please fill out this form!
Visiting Japan Activities Coordinator Activity Request Form
What is JOI?
Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) aims to promote awareness and understanding of Japan by bringing volunteer Japanese coordinators to regions of the U.S. where Japanese culture has been less accessible.
Coordinators are hosted by U.S. nonprofits and educational institutions with a strong commitment to promoting learning about Japan.