Monty graduated cum laude from UAA in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Languages with an emphasis in Japanese.

After graduating from UAA in 2009, Montgomery "Monty" Dickson was accepted into the JET (Japan Exchange Teaching) Program. He worked as an English language teacher in the small town of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture and taught at 16 different schools. Monty made an impact on all he met and quickly became a member of many families as well as a minor celebrity in town.

He taught English not only to his students, but to anyone who wanted to learn—even in exchange for swimming lessons. He embraced the Japanese culture and participated in many activities in the community. Monty wanted his students to "love English" and made learning English "fun". He even initiated English language lessons during the summer months. Monty found a second home in Japan and with the Japanese people.

Monty lost his life in the tsunami that destroyed the Northeast coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. It is with his influence that three times as many students took the Eiken (English Language Proficiency Test) after the disaster, totaling 500 students.

The Montgomery Dickson Center for Japanese Language and Culture desires to fulfill Monty's dream and assist with UAA's ambition to further enrich and deepen mutual understanding and appreciation between Japan and Alaska by providing high quality Japanese language education at UAA.