Westminster’s Sound Technician, Joshua John Thigpen, recently moved to Ota, Japan, 50 miles north of Tokyo, to realize his dream of teaching English to elementary school children. The only child of Elder Pamela Thigpen, Joshua was born in 1986, was baptized and grew up at Westminster, having gone to Sunday school, vacation bible school and sang in the Angelic Choir, then under the direction of Elder Janice Kenner.

Joshua attended Inglewood Christian School and graduated from Junipero Serra High School in Gardena. He then attended the University of La Verne where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. While studying at La Verne, Joshua spent 9 months abroad studying in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Joshua fell in love with Japan; its people, culture and the beauty of the country. Upon his return to the United States in 2008, Joshua declared his intention to return to Japan to teach English, a dream he is now realizing.

For the past 4 years, since the death pf his beloved “Nana”, Westminster Trustee Sarah Campbell, Joshua quit his job working as an online coupon editor for Internet Brands, to become the primary caretaker for his grandfather, who had Dementia. After his “Papa” was moved to a Memory Care home, Joshua then applied for teaching positions in both Japan and Korea and was offered a teaching contract with the Heart Corporation in Japan.