Picture of Holly wearing Kimono holding a Wagasa

Who is
Holly-sensei?

Originally from Tennessee, USA
Living in Japan since 2019
BS in Elementary education;
MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
10+ years teaching experience
Hobbies: Sewing, Reading, Cooking, Gardening, Watching anime, Parapara dancing, learning new languages

My Story

Picture of Holly wearing Yukata at the Nashville Cherry Blossom, 2010

Picture of Holly working at the middle tennessee anime convention 2011

Picture of Holly teaching 1st grade students in a Japanese school

My name is Holly. I was born in a small town just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Growing up, I always loved learning and trying new things, and I especially enjoyed talking about what I was learning! It was only natural that I eventually became a teacher. I find that being an educator is so rewarding because I get to help people gain the skills they need to accomplish their own goals and make their dreams a reality! There's nothing better then seeing a student have their "ah-hah!" lightbulb moments. 💖

I first became interested in Japan and Japanese culture at only 10 years old. I spent my teenage years reading and learning as much as I could about Japanese culture, and of course I loved watching Japanese anime - a hobby I still continue today!

In my 20s, I began volunteering for the Japanese consulate in the Southeast along with my friend Stephanie, sharing knowledge about kimono. I met famous anthropologist Liza Dalby, the first non-Japanese woman to work as a geisha. This was a huge inspiration to me to continue working towards my goals. I started studying Japanese at language school classes. I also started attending anime conventions in 2000 and quickly pivoted into working at them, which eventually led to dedicating a lot of time and love to helping run the Middle Tennessee Anime Convention. I made so many friends and have memories I will cherish forever thanks to my experiences at various conventions across the US.

In my 30s, I earned a Bachelor's degree in elementary education and studied abroad in Japan as part of the KIIS (Kentucky Institute for International Studies) program. Not long after that, I was selected to participate in the JET (Japan Exchange Teaching) Program in 2019. Since moving to Japan, I have taught all ages from kindergarten to adults! In 2023, I completed my Masters degree in TESOL and became a university lecturer. Living in Japan has been a dream come true for me, and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to help others achieve their learning goals and make their dreams come true as well!

I started my YouTube channel, OkonomiGal, and other socials as a hobby when I moved to Japan as a way to share my experiences with all of my friends and family back home, but I have recently been moving closer and closer to serious content creation. I use the term "serious" very loosely- I think it's important to not take yourself -too- seriously! At the same time, thinking about how I could help others learn English (and Japanese!) led me to creating the online courses and learning materials that you can find here on my site! I hope you'll join my online community and let me help you in your language learning journey!