This Sunday, July 14, 2019, marked the beginning of the fourth and final session of this year’s Cross Cultural Internship Program (CCIP, www.fusia.net). The newly arrived exchange visitors met at the Flushing YMCA for their Post-Arrival Orientation. The internships, which take place at organizations across the city, began on Monday.

The orientation is an opportunity for the newly arrived interns to get to know each other and be refreshed on their responsibilities. A representative from Flushing Bank was on hand to help the interns open bank accounts. Though the internships are unpaid, some organizations offer commute stipends. Also, having local bank accounts makes it much easier for the visitors to spend money while in the city.

Student leaders briefed their newly arrived co-participants on program activities. These will include museum visits, a Broadway show, and the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival held in Flushing Meadows Park. Throughout the summer, student leaders will help organize the activities and ensure everything runs smoothly.

"I can't wait to get started," said Kenji, a student leader and an intern with NYS Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman this summer. "There were a lot of nerves when we first arrived. I know there were for me. But now that we've all met and the program has begun, I'm just really excited to see everything there is to see in New York."

As always, the orientation also featured a welcome from Elizabeth Kay, the Responsible Officer for CCIP. Elizabeth does most of the initial interviews in person in Asia, so this was a chance for the students to get reacquainted with her. She serves the dual role as the RO for CCIP and the president of FUSIA Communications, one of the host organizations for the program.

Samco from University of Macau commented, "There were a lot of reasons I wanted to join CCIP. The first was that it was based in New York City, which I've always wanted to see. An international internship will look amazing on my CV too. And, of course, there are all the interesting opportunities to learn about American culture and expand my knowledge. As soon as I read about this program, I knew I had to be a part of it."

Every year, CCIP chooses participants from partner universities in Eastern Asia. For the 2019 program, a total of 75 interns were selected from 1,300 applicants. The program runs all summer, from mid-May through late August. The interns come in four groups and stay for anywhere between six and 12 weeks.