On Thursday, June 1, the exchange visitors of the Cross Cultural Internship Program (www.theccip.com), an EVP J-1 intern program sponsored by FUSIA, went as a group to learn about American banks and the broader banking system at the Flushing branch of TD Bank. The store manager, Calvin Chu, provided in overview of the industry and insights into how his bank sets itself apart.

With its roots in Toronto, TD Bank formed as a merger between the US-based Commerce Bank and the Canadian TD Banknorth. The bank emphasizes customer service and community engagement and is open seven days a week. The branch in Flushing has partnered with CCIP for many years, allowing exchange visitors to open up short-term bank accounts for their time in the United States free of charge.

The visit to TD Bank was organized by two of the student leaders for the program. For the exchange visitors, this visit allowed them to see the differences and similarities between banking in America and in Asia and provided a greater understanding of global markets. Mr. Chu has many years of experience in the industry and had a great deal to share with the group.

"I think it's cool that local businesses do so much to help out this program," Grace Ye from the University of Macau said. "I learned a lot from Mr. Chu that I had never expected to know about."