Get to Know NTI: Toya Jackson

Toya Jackson joined NTI in 2024 as a Program Officer on the Global Nuclear Policy Program (GNPP) team, and she has had a unique journey—from studying linguistics and living abroad to working in public administration and nuclear policy. 

She spoke with NTI’s communications intern Resana Zayan about her career path, her passion for language, and her role at NTI. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Resana Zayan: Thank you for speaking with me. I’m excited to dive into your story. I noticed that you have a background in linguistics. What initially drew you to that field?

Toya Jackson: I started off as a biology major because I thought working in a lab would be cool. But I had a personal passion for learning Japanese since childhood and by the time I started college, I was also interested in Korean. Initially, I planned to major in biology and double minor in Japanese and Korean, but after two months, I realized biology wasn’t for me.

I was major-less for a while until a friend, who studied Korean with me, pointed out how much I enjoyed analyzing language structure and socio-linguistic contexts. And he, knowing that I didn’t have a major, one day told me, “You should major in linguistics.” At that time, I don’t think I had ever heard of linguistics. I Googled it, and I was like, yeah, I like everything about this. So, during the first semester of junior year, I crammed all that I could into those two years to make sure I could graduate as a linguist. And I did.

Resana: With such a strong interest in languages, how many do you speak?

Toya: I’ve seriously studied five—well, four, not including English. Japanese, Korean, French, and Mandarin. I formally gave up French to focus on Korean and Japanese in college. This past year I studied Mandarin, right up until starting at NTI, while I was in Taiwan on a Boren Fellowship.

Resana: How was your experience in Taiwan with the Boren Fellowship?

Toya: It was great, but also very different from my previous experiences living abroad. I spent every summer during undergrad in Korea, either studying or working. Then, I lived in Japan after graduating because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. Each experience was me at a different stage of life, with different needs, trying to find out who I was.

When I went to Taiwan, I was already 31. And this time, instead of using my proximity to a new or different culture as a means to define my identity, I came into it already knowing who I was. As a result, I moved through my time in Taiwan with a new sense of confidence and independence. But because of that, I wasn’t as immersed in Taiwan as I had been in Japan or Korea. My language didn’t grow at the rate it usually does, and I felt like I wasn’t fully present there.

The fellowship was supposed to last a year, and I had even considered staying longer—maybe two years. But while I was in Taiwan, I realized: I’m an adult now. I have different priorities, and they aren’t being met here. I found myself thinking more about things like building long-term social circles and finding my forever home—things that literally made my flesh crawl in my 20s.

Even though I didn’t stay as long as I expected, my time in Taiwan gave me the chance to step away and reset. Since it was tied to my grad school studies, I knew it would make things a bit easier when I eventually re-entered the job market. It was exactly what I needed at that stage of my life.

Resana: Speaking of career development, what led you to shift from linguistics to public administration and public policy?

Toya: After returning from Japan in 2018, I spent about 10 months job searching. The job I eventually landed was, coincidentally, in the political department at the Japanese Embassy here in DC. I had never considered working in policy before, but that role exposed me to government work and policymaking.

Initially, my goal was to work in intelligence, specifically in language-focused roles like with the CIA. But knowing about the restrictions, for example, a lot of my friends are international and the restrictions you have about associating with non-nationals eventually had me thinking that it might not be the thing for me.

When I imagined my ideal job, I knew I wanted it to be a desk job. I did not want to go out into the field. I also knew it was not going to be foreign service, but most likely civil service. Then one day while browsing USA Jobs for civil service positions, I noticed that most job listings required a background in public policy or public administration.

So, I enrolled in the Master of Public Administration and Public Policy (MPAP) program at American University. I didn’t know what either of them entailed, but I knew this degree would get me where I wanted to go. And once I started, I absolutely loved it.

Resana: What got you interested in nuclear issues and security?

Toya: That was also a coincidence. At the Japanese Embassy, one of the diplomats I worked with handled the nuclear portfolio, so that was my first exposure. From there I started thinking more specifically about foreign policy.

Especially working with Japan and Korea, which all have defense ties to the US, I knew I’d be able to build off my past experiences. And just coincidentally, when I was in Taiwan, a friend sent me this NTI job listing, and she was like, “You want to do something with defense, right? Here’s something.” Prior to that I had never thought about nuclear policy, but I read the description, and it checked all the boxes. Within exactly two months from the day I sent my resume, I was moving back to the U.S. to start this job.

Resana: What is it like working at NTI for you?

Toya: I really like it. It’s the healthiest work environment I’ve ever experienced. In Asian work culture, hierarchy is a big deal, and as the newest person, I was never really asked for my opinion. But here, even though I don’t have a strong background in nuclear policy, people immediately asked for my input. I felt valued that they always make a space for me. It really gave me a positive impression of the organization.

Before joining NTI, I knew nuclear weapons existed, but I had never thought much about them. I realized I was part of the problem—lack of awareness.

Resana: That’s amazing! Your work at GNPP focuses on Asia and the Global South. Why is this so important right now?

Toya: We’re talking about how the status quo of nuclear power and deterrence is changing. That’s why this work is so important right now. There’s so much change happening in real time, and we’re able to be on the ground, witnessing it firsthand, influencing it where we can. The work of rethinking the global nuclear order is more relevant than ever because the order we’ve known since the Cold War is collapsing right in front of us.

Resana: With so much shifting in the global nuclear landscape, how do you see your work evolving in the coming years?

Toya: NTI has gotten some traction with China, especially in dialogues about nuclear security and nuclear fail-safe. The fact that there’s an open channel with China is exciting. First, because that’s a role I can play. And second, just the fact that this is happening at all. There’s just so much mystery and ambiguity surrounding their policies. So, the fact that we’re making progress is hopeful.

And when I think about the people I’ve met in the region and the struggles people go through—it makes it all feel tangible. When I think about how what we’re building with China could have a real, positive impact on security, it solidifies the importance of this work for me.

Resana: It’s inspiring to see that your work is making a real impact. Before we wrap up, on a lighter note—what’s something about you that your coworkers might not know?

Toya: I play a couple of traditional Asian instruments! I spent about three years playing in a traditional Korean percussion group in college where we performed at different festivals. Then, when I moved to Japan, I played the Taiko Drums for a few years, which are conceptually similar. But what a lot of people don’t know is that I also play the Koto—a traditional Japanese harp. It’s a long, hollow instrument that sits on the ground, and while it’s technically a type of zither, I’ve never actually heard anyone use that word in English.

I don’t really tell people about this because I get super shy when it comes up. The moment someone says, oh, you should perform! I just panic. But yeah—I play the traditional Japanese harp!