A Saint Paul native, Nikolai grew up bearing through the cold winters. After graduating from Macalester College and spending two years in China, he applied for the JET Program. Minnesota winters had him ill prepared for the less cold but more snowy winters of Aomori. After three years of teaching, he decided to pursue his passions in IT. Currently he works as a SQL Report Developer for a company that provides payroll services. He loves Japanese language and culture, so if you’re here you probably have something in common.