Brainerd High School’s first student to go to college in Japan receives full ride

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A local Brainerd High School senior has big plans after graduation, and it won’t be in the United States.

“Ninth grade year when Covid hits. I’m bored, and I have nothing to do. I’m like, let’s learn Japanese,” said Joshua Hood, a senior at Brainerd High School.

That was Joshua Hood, also known as JT, who is an avid basketball player and a true intellectual according to all of his teachers and coaches.

“Like companies that are investment banks for foreign countries, and you can make a lot of money doing that, so that’s probably what I’ll do. Or I might try being a pro basketball player in Japan; I don’t know. We’ll figure it out,” said Hood.

For as long as he can remember, JT has been a fan of all things Asian culture.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I always had interest in Asian culture, particularly because my dad went to China, and I always got to see his souvenirs and stuff and I always thought they were cool. The way they see the world is so different and to me that was like really interesting,” said Hood.

The scholarship he received is full ride, and his first year of schooling will be primarily in Tokyo, while the four years after that will be to a university of his choosing.

“The undergrad one is knowing for being pretty competitive because there’s tens of thousands of applicants all over the world and only 60 can get it, so I was one of those 60 this year,” said Hood.

While finishing his time in high school, he became heavily involved in Chattanooga’s Pursuit of happiness program, designed to focus on helping Chattanooga’s ‘under-deserved youth.’

“I think that Pursuit of Happiness helped me learn how to be a responsible and respectful adult. They just, they taught me how business works and how to talk to people and how to not be a piece of crap and, you know, just be a solid person, and I think that really took me far,” said Hood.

JT says he will miss his friends and family but is very excited for his next adventure.