Our Instructor
Byron Wong
Konnichi Wa! My name is Byron. I live in the Bethany area of Portland with my wife, two children, and rat terrier mix. Both of my children attended and graduated from Jacob Wismer. My son and daughter currently attend Sunset High School. My wife and I have lived in our home since 2005.
I was born in New York City, and I’ve lived in New York, New Jersey, California, and Oregon. I graduated from Cornell in the late 90’s with a dual degree in Chemistry and Comparative Literature, where I focused on French Literature. Upon graduation, I traveled to Aomori, Japan, where I taught English at the Nova Intercultural Network. I lived in Japan for a year. Most of my career has been in the mortgage industry, where I worked as a loan officer for nine years. I served as a volunteer translator of the Jacob Wismer Newsletter for two years, where I was nominated for the Joyce Richards Spirit of Volunteering Award in 2017.
In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, and practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I have passed the JLPT N4. My favorite Japanese rock band is Mr. Children.