Jade Melendres gives an interview about the Flying Tigers at the Fujian Museum. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]

This summer I had an internship at Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China! I spent a month there, and my time there was extraordinary. Jiangnan University's generosity and hospitality in hosting us American students went truly above and beyond. Thanks to them, I traveled to five cities within a week—Fuzhou, Wuxi, Quanzhou, Xiamen, and Beijing—each with a well-planned itinerary and local dishes to try.

In those 30 days, here are several highlights I'd like to share:

Jade Melendres at the Headquarter of International Chinese Education. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]

Firstly, on my third day in China, I was interviewed by a news outlet and a media company. I was on local Chinese TV news the next day, discussing Sino-American relations. That day, I learned about the Flying Tigers, which illuminates a moment of profound unity in America's relationship with China. The Flying Tigers were an American aviation force resisting the Japanese occupation, and when pilots survived a crash, Chinese civilians risked their lives to rescue them before they could be captured or executed.

Secondly, at the Wuxi Chamber of Commerce, I was made team leader, and my group and I delivered a presentation on e-commerce to company representatives and local government officials.

In addition, I led the intern cohort's field trip as the project leader to Yangshan Peach Farm in Huishan district, where I finally met Lucy Wang, a staff member who oversees the Davis-Huishan District Sister City Relations. She was introduced to me by Ruth Asmundson, former mayor of Davis.

Last but not least, in the program's Closing Ceremony, all eight interns gave a group presentation about our time in China. I chose to talk about making friends at Jiangnan University, and I went over the many memories we made together outside of school, such as karaoke, hotpot, and barbecue! I made so many friends while I was in China. They made my time there even more special.

Jade Melendres speaks at the closing ceremony, the last official day of the internship. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]

My experience in China has been nothing short of phenomenal. I've loved Chinese culture since I was young, and experiencing it in real life was magical. I've been thinking of ways to stay connected, like pursuing an accounting internship there or, in the long term, being assigned there by a firm. In any case, I'll definitely be back, and my Chinese will have vastly improved the next time I come!

Jade Melendres with Director Ni Ye and Former Director Wang Wu. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]

I'm deeply grateful to the amazing staff and students of Jiangnan University for making this possible. My sincere thanks go to the Director of the International Office, Ni Ye; Professor Cai Jianying; Professor He Jian; Professor Yang Hao; and Professor Michelle Yeh. A special acknowledgement goes to Professor Qiu Yiqian (Stella) who oversaw us interns with care and always looked out for our wellbeing. I also want to recognize Li Hao (Leo), our main photographer and videographer at Jiangnan University, for putting together an incredible documentary of our experiences. Lastly, I'm especially appreciative of Liu Jiaxin (Jenny) and Gao Zhao Yihan (Elsie), our volunteer translators, who made it easier for us to get by in China and helped bridge the language gap!

The author is a second-year student at the University of California, Davis pursuing a Bachelor's in Managerial Economics with aspirations in business and accounting.

If you would like to share your Wuxi stories, then send us your writings at wuxiexpatstories@outlook.com.