Bailee Fiste awaits her teaching placement through the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program. Photo courtesy of Fiste.
When Bailee Fiste first left Tennessee two summers ago to study abroad in Japan, it was a step into the unknown. Now, just a few months after graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, she’s heading back—this time for a yearlong role in the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program.
Fiste, who earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities: international studies in December 2025, has been selected to serve as an assistant language teacher, working in classrooms across Japan to support English instruction and cultural exchange.
For Fiste, a native of Sparta, Tennessee, the opportunity builds on a journey that began during her time at UTC, when she received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
“That was the first chance that I had to leave the country and experience life abroad,” she said. “It was just the most amazing experience I’d ever had. It was everything I had dreamed of—being abroad, experiencing the culture and just seeing it firsthand.
“Coming back, I didn’t want to leave. I had already planned to one day live in Japan, so it was just a matter of how I was going to do that.”
That path became clearer through UTC’s Office of National Scholarships, where Director Trey Straussberger helped guide her through the application process.
The JET Program, supported by the Japanese government, places participants in schools across the country, where they assist lead teachers with English instruction and serve as cultural ambassadors.
“The role is very similar to other teaching assistant programs,” Straussberger said. “She’s placed in a classroom with a head teacher and works with students on pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.”
He said the program is designed to strengthen relationships between Japan and the United States.
“It’s a bilateral program that seeks to build closer diplomatic and cultural ties,” Straussberger said.
Fiste will depart Aug. 1, with orientation taking place shortly after arrival. She expects to learn her placement location in late May or early June, with assignments ranging from rural communities to major cities.
“I honestly just know I’m going and I don’t care where,” she said.
Fiste said her time at UTC helped prepare her for the opportunity in ways that extended beyond the classroom. Through study abroad, campus involvement and relationships with international students, she found a growing interest in teaching English to speakers of other languages.
“Being able to help my friends with their English and seeing their progress, it was a wonderful feeling,” she said. “I thought maybe I’ll try this as a career.”
Straussberger said the Gilman Scholarship experience played a key role in shaping that direction.
“The Gilman was integral to her seizing these opportunities,” he said. “It opened doors for her, and in many ways, she caught the bug of wanting to spend more time abroad and have longer-term cultural exchanges.”
Fiste said the decision to apply to JET was also influenced by faculty support and her own initiative. After attending an informational session and connecting with program representatives, she moved quickly to complete the application process.
“I put my foot on the gas, got that application in and everything,” she said.
After an interview in early February, she received the news earlier this month.
“I saw the email that I’d been accepted, and I was just ecstatic,” she said.
While the program offers professional experience, Fiste said her goals extend beyond career development.
“One of the other main reasons I applied was to be part of something truly bigger than myself,” she said. “I hope to not only advocate for empathetic, productive cross-cultural exchange, but to cultivate it in the communities and classrooms I will interact with during the program. That is what I hope to get out of the JET Program.”
She said the experience is also about personal growth.
“I want to continue on this self-discovery journey and figure out my own way in the world,” she said.
Adopted from China and raised in a small Tennessee community, she said her upbringing continues to influence the path she’s taking.
“I take great pride in my Chinese heritage and my unique identity,” she said. “The diversity in my identity, interests and social groups allows so many doors to open, and it just so happens this door leads to Japan.”
Looking ahead, she plans to use the experience as a foundation for future goals, including graduate school and a career in teaching English internationally.
For now, though, she is focused on the opportunity in front of her.
“I hope to be a bridge between cultures,” she said.
Learn more
The Office of National Scholarships
