Here is a quote from Kassidy one of the students who also helped with translation:
“As the school year begins, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible opportunity I had this past summer. Thanks to the Collegiate Asia Entrepreneurship Tour, I challenged myself to use Mandarin Chinese in a business setting. This fully funded trip was organized by the non-profit Airline Ambassadors International, affiliated with the United Nations and the New York Institute of Finance. During the two-week tour, I visited Beijing, Tangshan, and Fuzhou.
In Tangshan, I attended classes at Tangshan Normal University, toured various museums, and immersed myself in the local culture. The classes covered topics such as business sustainability, calligraphy, Chinese literature, and finance. One of my favorite experiences was visiting the coal mining museum, which highlighted how the industry has driven regional development. This part of the trip was particularly enriching, helping me further develop skills like communication, networking, and financial literacy. In Fuzhou, I toured businesses specializing in robotics and AI. These tours were conducted mostly in Mandarin, providing a great opportunity to test my language comprehension in a business context. These tours were all thanks to Fuzhou University of International studies and trade.
I’m incredibly grateful to the non-profit organization for this opportunity and learning experience. This program has allowed me to explore different career paths while practicing my Chinese language skills.”
and a another quote from Hannah:
“This trip was really something special. I love getting to travel, but this was my first time to China and it was so cool to get to see the country and especially to meet the local students. I think that’s the main thing that made this trip so unique; that we got to build relationships with students to learn what their lives are like and see China through their eyes. If I had been traveling alone, I may have gotten to see the sights, but I wouldn’t have gotten those rich perspectives and relationships. It was also really incredible to have such a great group of American students to travel with that hopefully we can stay in touch with as well. Another thing I thought was really valuable about this experience was all the cultural learning we did with the students. I feel like we really got to immerse ourselves in learning about calligraphy or painting or opera in a way that’s different from how we normally get to experience a new country. Being taught by local experts and having the students come alongside us was such a great experience and I feel like it really deepened my appreciation for Chinese cultural arts. Living in America, the stories we hear about China are not always the most positive, so it was really special to see that everyone we met was so friendly and hospitable and just wanted us to have the best experience there. I’m so grateful that I got to go on this trip and have these experiences, and I know I’ll never forget the memories and relationships I made on this trip.”
and another from Sofia:
Beyond Dreams: My unforgettable experience in China (from Sofia)
“My experience in China was extraordinary. It has always been a dream of mine to visit China with my grandfather and learn more about my heritage. After he passed, I thought the dream had passed with him. However, through this trip, I was able to live out my dream and deepen my connection to my heritage. This trip went beyond anything I could have possibly asked for or imagined.
I am deeply grateful to the organizers of AAI, NYIF, The Windsor School, and Tangshan Normal University for their dedication and attentiveness. They ensured that we were not just tourists in China, but active participants in a cultural exchange. We had the privilege of engaging in various traditional activities, each offering a unique window into Chinese culture. We learned the delicate art of calligraphy. We attended and participated in performances of Chinese opera, and we even tried our hand at puppet-making. We got to experience the best talents of the local community while exploring our own. The efforts of everyone involved made our experience authentic and enriching, something I know I could not have achieved on my own.
In addition to the cultural immersion, we were incredibly fortunate to take finance courses from the New York Institute of Finance (NYIF). We received instruction from experts in the field such as Lee Tian. These lectures were packed with invaluable insights essential for future business and world leaders. I am grateful for the chance to have participated in such a prestigious program and network with such distinguished professionals.
The kindness and care of everyone involved, from the organizers to the university students, was truly heartwarming. They went out of their way to accommodate us, making us feel welcome and valued throughout our stay. Everything was in the details. After a few rainy nights, they arranged for us to sing karaoke after hours in a local park and watch a drone show that told the story of the Chinese Qixi festival. When we first arrived in Tangshan, they had treats and mascot performers waiting to greet us in our hotel. In addition, we were each assigned a local buddy that we were able to fellowship with throughout our stay.
I greatly value the connections I made throughout the trip. I met amazing people, both American and Chinese, who became lifelong friends. I will always cherish the camaraderie we developed over meals and bus rides. I will remember the laughter shared over hours of Google Translate conversations and bathroom breaks, and I will prize the mutual respect earned through the interchanging of ideas and values.
China exceeded all my expectations. The country’s beauty, the warmth of its people, and the richness of its culture left a large impression on me. It was vastly different from what American media would have us believe. The trip not only deepened my appreciation for my heritage but also opened my eyes to the advancements and complexities of the modern world. I was heavily affected by my experience at the robot exhibition. It is both exciting and terrifying to see the trajectory of technology on a global scale. The experiences I had in China will stay with me forever. I am profoundly thankful to everyone who made this incredible adventure possible.”
