Elizabeth “Betsy” Rock was born and raised in Western Massachusetts. She completed her undergraduate studies at Bryn Mawr College, majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Japanese language. After graduating, she lived in Japan, where she taught English at the high school level for 5 years on the JET (Japan Teaching and Exchange) Program. After returning to the U.S., she received her master’s degree in Japanese Linguistics from University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has taught Japanese as a teaching assistant at University of Wisconsin-Madison and Middlebury Summer Language Program in Vermont. She also devotes time to teaching workshops on how to play the traditional card game (and modern sport), Kyogi Karuta (Competitive Karuta).