This week our featured MHS graduate is Justin Schwarz, Class of 2008.
Justin started his college education at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan, where he began a study-abroad experience in Tokyo, Japan (2011).
Unfortunately, that stay was cut short in March of 2011 when a 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan and all foreign students were forced to come back to the U.S.
Transferring to UW-Madison, he completed his B.A. in Economics with a Japanese minor in 2014.
Following graduation, Justin moved to Kobe, Japan, where he worked as an assistant language teacher in the Japanese English Teaching (JET) program for two years. In 2016 Justin moved to Tokyo to take a position as a recruiter for several years.
In 2021 he began working with CBRE where he is currently selling commercial properties in Tokyo.
In March of 2023 Justin married Carla Almazora in Manilla, Philippines. The couple resides in Toyko with their toy poodle “Hanu-chan.”
While growing up in Menomonie, Justin played soccer for the Red Cedar Soccer teams, the MHS Varsity squad and for the Dynamo Soccer team.
Justin continues to play on a league team in Tokyo. He and Carla share their love of downhill skiing and snowboarding in the mountains of Japan.
Judy Foust is a retired 7th Grade Reading Specialist at Menomonie Middle School. She is always on the lookout for MHS graduate (from any year) to share their stories. Relatives may submit information or former students can write their own articles.
Contact her at [email protected] with questions or stories you’d like to submit.
