Route J-1

By SunJeong Lee, Client Relations Officer, Cultural Vistas

A version of this blog post was originally published on the Cultural Vistas Blog.

During his athletic media relations internship at Binghamton University Jaehyuk (Jake) Lim, now a Korea WEST alumnus, formed a close bond with other WEST interns looking to gain experience with a Division I athletics program.

[Note: This is part of a series featuring reflections from J-1 exchange visitors about how their perceptions of America changed after living, working, traveling and studying in the United States. This week, J-1s discuss how their cultural exchange experience helped them build lifelong friendships and networks.]

Time and time again, when we evaluate our programs we learn about the many meaningful friendships made, as well as the close contact that continues with colleagues and locals alike. Nearly 80% of our Train USA participants state that they will stay in touch with their personal and professional contacts. Case in point, a J-1 Trainee from Leipzig, Germany, said he has developed a more positive perception of the U.S. He will stay in touch with his American colleagues for professional advice once he is back in Germany, and also to share best industry practices.

Dominique, a J-1 intern from Italy, sits on the iconic Golden Gate Bridge with a friend from Belgium.

Also touching on this point, Ana Bernal Romaguera from Spain said: “Thanks to this internship I’m getting to know many people that I am confident will stay in my life for a long time, if not forever. From a career perspective, it has allowed me to gain a huge amount of skills and experience. I can draw from this to help me in future jobs and I’ll also be able to apply my knowledge either in continuing higher studies or in any life situation. Overall, it has been a great experience, and I’m really grateful to have had this learning opportunity — I would definitely do it again.”

Taking the leap to remain positive and flexible to change takes courage. But what you reap from the adventures will be beyond your imagination.

J-1 Trainee Julia Mariette Antonio from Vancouver, Canada, takes a stroll in the streets of New York City.

Even our neighbors in Canada are seeing the States in a new way as Julia, a Vancouver native attested, “I now have a greater appreciation for the people that live here. I see people that aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone to do a dance performance on the subway train. People work diligently to meet a deadline even after office hours. Strangers have approached me while walking just to spark a friendly conversation. This country is full of amazing people and I’m inspired by the energy of New York City. My experience here has helped me to be more mindful of my surroundings and be open to meeting new people.”

[Join us again next week for the finally in this series on lessons learned by J-1s. We’ll hear more about how the cultural exchange experience helped exchange visitors better understand themselves and others.]

Categories: Program Spotlight