Our Mission
“Wasshoi!” is the phrase that people shout in unison at Japanese festivals as they work together to shoulder the heavy portable mikoshi shrine through the streets. One of the meanings is to carry peace or harmony. Part jubilation and part cooperation, we chose this word to represent our mission.
The Wasshoi Foundation was established to provide financial support for high school students to deepen their understanding of Japanese language and culture through travel to Japan
Students who meet the Wasshoi Foundation grant criteria:
Have successfully completed at least two years of Japanese study
Are currently enrolled in an upper level (Level 3 or above) Japanese class at Los Gatos High School, or in the Salinas Union High School District
Have never been to Japan
Are exceptional representatives of their school/community
Are eager to apply their Japanese skills in authentic situations, and to participate in opportunities for cultural/language immersion, such as homestay and school visitation
Would otherwise be unable to participate in travel opportunities without financial assistance
The grant is intended for students with financial disadvantage or exceptional financial circumstances.
Click here to read about Tei Dacus’ Legacy
Application Process
Instructions for completing all components of the application can be found here
Required components include a form for basic information and parental permission, a 750 word essay, and two recommendation forms from (non-family) adults who know the student, including their current Japanese teacher
For travel grants in the 2024-25 school year, all components of the application must be postmarked by January 10th, 2025.
Meet Our Board
Tei Ann Dacus Jordan
Ann recently retired from a 35 year career as a middle school and high school teacher. In 2001 she taught the first Japanese class at Los Gatos High School, and for the last 17 years has built the Japanese program into a thriving and popular course of study covering four years of instruction, including AP. She was a member of the AP Japanese Development Committee and served as the College Board Advisor for AP Japanese. Although “retired,” she is still very much involved in language education in various roles with the American Association of Teachers of Japanese and the California Language Teachers Association as well as providing mentoring support to teachers of Japanese in the J-LEAP program.
As a teacher in Salinas and Los Gatos, Ann frequently accompanied her students on enrichment study travel programs to Japan. She recognized that some of her students faced significant financial challenges that prevented them from participating. Ann was inspired by these students to create the Wasshoi Foundation.
teiann@wasshoi.foundation
Peter Jordan
Peter retired in the spring of 2017 from a thirty year career in education, and promptly left for Japan to complete a six-week 950 mile walking pilgrimage among the 88 sacred buddhist temples in Shikoku. Some of his other retirement projects include becoming a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and coaching cross country and track at Monterey High School.
peter@wasshoi.foundation
Kristi Gerrior
Kristi Gerrior is a California attorney with 25 years experience representing corporations and trusts. She graduated from University of Cincinnati School of Law as a full scholarship fellow with the Urban Morgan Institute for International Human Rights. In college, she studied Russian and spent a semester in the former Soviet Union. Afterwards, she promised herself that if she had children, they would not wait so "late in life" to learn a foreign language. True to promise, her two daughters attended a dual spanish immersion elementary school in Mountain View. She and her husband enjoy all things Redwood. Her favorite word "mir", the Russian word that means both peace and world, now has a friend in "wasshoi".
kristi@wasshoi.foundation
Kumi Kobayashi
Kumi started teaching Japanese at Los Gatos High School in 2018 after Jordan Sensei retired. She started her career as an exchange Japanese language teacher in 1999-2001 through the JALEX Program, working with American Japanese teachers in Farmingdale, Maine. Later she moved to California to attend the Monterey Institute of International Studies where she received an MA in Teaching Foreign Language. She taught Japanese at Lynbrook High School for 15 years. During that time, she has taken her students to Japan and hosted groups of Japanese high school students and Japanese college interns.
Outside of classroom, she enjoys hosting Benkyokai meetings with local Japanese teachers for exchanging ideas and sharing resources. As a regional representative of the California Association of Japanese Language Teachers, she strives to build a strong support system for Japanese teachers in the Bay Area.
Kumi@wasshoi.foundation
Brendan Nystedt
Brendan Nystedt is a writer, editor, and traveler. His work has been published in print and online at Reviewed, Wirecutter, USA Today, and WIRED. Currently, he's an account manager with WE Communications, representing Microsoft's Surface PCs. He's a native of Los Gatos and an LGHS graduate who was in the inaugural class of the Japanese language program there. He's been to Japan five times and is always looking for another opportunity to go back.
Brendan@wasshoi.foundation
