FUSIA/CCIP J-1 Exchange Visitor Program (The Cross Cultural Internship Program, CCIP, www.fusia.net) celebrated another year of accomplishment and brought together key supporters of its cultural initiative and exchange visitors themselves by holding the 2017 Recognition Ceremony at Citi Field, home of the Mets, on Monday, July 17.

That night, over 120 guests, including exchange visitors, local and foreign government representatives, university partners, and host representatives, attended the event to celebrate the joint efforts of the greater New York City community and exchange visitors from Asia and Pacific nations to promote cultural exchange through the CCIP exchange visitor program.

Government officials in attendance:

- NYS Assembly Member David Weprin (also one of the internship hosts)
- NYC Councilman Peter Koo
- Chris A. Halecki from the US Department of State
- Eugene Ng (Ng Chang Yang, Eugene) - Singapore Consul
- Claudia Yeung - Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office, New York

Representatives from various government officials also presented certificates, citations, and proclamations recognizing the involved parties' efforts and achievements of the program in its cultural endeavors (www.fusia.net/award):

- US Senator for New York, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
- Congresswoman Grace Meng (also one of the internship hosts)
- Congressman Joseph Crowley

- NYS Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (a also one of the internship hosts)
- NYS Senator Tony Avella
- NYS Assemblyman Ron Kim (also one of the internship hosts)
- NYS Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (also one of the internship hosts)
- NYS Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou

- NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
- NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer
- NYC Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer
- NYC Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams
- NYC Queens Borough President Melinda Katz

- Public Advocate for the City of New York Latitia James
- NYC Councilmember Rory Lancman
- NYC Councilmember Barry S. Grodenchi

Representatives from host organizations and partner universities, along with community leaders, were presented handmade plaques as a token of appreciation to them for helping the exchange visitor internship program further its mission of promoting cultural exchange. Selected students and host organizations took the stage to describe the positive experience of collaborating with the program and its participants.

The ceremony commemorated the students' experiences in the program with a video presentation produced by the exchange visitors. The photos featured in the video offered a touching look at student life that also took students on a trip down memory lane.

Most remarkably for everyone in attendance, the stadium was filled with enthusiastic cheering and applause for the students, who had built meaningful relationships with each other and the community at large.

The event concluded with closing remarks from Marc A. Haken, the Youth, Education, and Library Committee Chair of Community Board 8 in Queens (CB 8Q) and President of Friends of Cunningham Park and a program advisor, who thanked all parties' collaborative efforts, which contributed immensely to the success of CCIP in its goodwill initiative.

A baseball game between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals followed the close of the ceremony, providing students with a beloved and classic American experience to end the night. While the ceremony marked the end of the first wave of the 2017 CCIP participation, it also marked the beginning for Session B students, who have seven exciting weeks in the US to look forward to.

Most remarkably for everyone in attendance, the stadium was filled with enthusiastic cheering and applause for the students, who had built meaningful relationships with each other and the community at large:

"The CCIP brings together a range of students from top universities across Asia-Pacific and connects us with meaningful host organization from different industries in New York City. Working at Fusia has helped to nurture important inter and intra organization communication skills as well as many software related skills. What I did not expect was making close friends from such a variety of backgrounds. I can safely say I have gained a sense of professionalism and global mindedness thanks to this amazing program," said Julian Chang, Nanyang Technological University.

"Not only do I gain an internship experience but I also meet lifelong friends and build a professional mind set throughout the program. During the seven weeks, I've worked with colleagues from different countries, visited famous places over New York City, and had a dialogue with different government officers. One of the great benefits I obtained, other than knowledge, is that the mind set and attitude a professional should have. I do believe that these valuable things I learnt bring me closer to the road to success," said Gutz Hui, City University of Hong Kong.

"CCIP is definitely worth the effort. The whole package of the internship experience and cultural exchange makes the program a golden opportunity. After joining, students learn more about themselves by taking different leader roles. I became more mature and confident about myself, which will be beneficial to my future career, " said Basil Kwan, the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology.

"My first internship is a valuable and memorable experience for me. Over the past two months, I appreciated the guidance and help I gained, and for the first time I have experienced working life outside campus. I lived with students from different backgrounds and experienced the diverse of the United States in this immigrant city. Living a life outside the campus makes me think more about the life after graduation. Now I'm looking forward to the challenges and gains coming next month," said Grace Ye, the University of Macau.

"I've never had such a fruitful internship before. CCIP allows me to experience working in a multicultural city without fear of the uncertainties that we might encounter during interning in a foreign country. I’ve met so many friends here and also learnt the differences of cultures. I feel myself becoming a professional team player who can work with people from different countries," said Jamie Lo, the Chinese University of Hong Kong.