Picture of Holly wearing Kimono holding a Wagasa

Who is
Holly-sensei?

Originally from Tennessee, USA
Lived in Japan 2019-2026
Studied abroad in Japan in 2017
BS in Elementary education;
MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
10+ years teaching experience
Hobbies: Sewing, Reading, Cooking, Gardening, Kimono, Watching anime, Parapara dancing, learning new languages

My Story

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

Wearing a geiko hikizuri, JapanFest 2004(?)

Picture of Holly working at the middle tennessee anime convention 2011

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

Kimono walk through Nagamachi samura district in Kanazawa

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. I also met my husband, Josh, and we were married in 2025. In early 2026, we decided to move to his home country, the UK. So now I am on a brand new adventure and learning a whole new culture and having new experiences every day!

Living in Japan was a dream come true for me, and I feel very fortunate to have had 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. At the same time, I was thinking about how I could help others learn English (and Japanese!) which 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!