Every year students from universities all over the globe come to America for a new experience. These students are known as J-1s.

J-1 is a non-immigrant visa issued by the United States for exchange visitors participating in programs that promote cultural change. The students come to America to work for three months, then spend one month traveling the states.

Students go to states all over the country to work such as Wisconsin, Florida, California, even Alaska! Then when it comes time to travel, they visit major cities and landmarks like Miami, Washington D.C., and New York City.

This summer I had the privilege of meeting and working with some J-1 students, so I was able to get feedback about their experiences here.

Martin Beneš is a 21-year-old from the Czech Republic. He will be going into his last year at his university this fall.

Beneš joined the J-1 program because of his love for travel. He has been all over Europe and usually travels by hitch-hiking.

Once Beneš finishes his three months of work, he is going to visit Miami, Washington D.C., New York City, and Niagara Falls.

Kavelle Townsend is another J-1 student who is from Jamaica. This year was her third time participating in the J-1 program. She previously has worked in Wisconsin and Tennessee as a restaurant waitress and hostess.

Townsend continues returning because she loves the exposure to new cultures and new people. Outside of the J-1 program, she travels to America for vacation to visit family and friends.

When asked what her most interesting experience was in the states, Townsend said, “The way Americans speak to each other is different; they sound laid back all the time. Also the food here is prepared differently; it’s weird.”

Last but not least, Stanimir Kolev is a 22-year-old from Bulgaria. He first heard about the J-1 program while he was in his last year of high school.

While Kolev is in America, he is hoping to save some money for when he travels back home.He has learned in his J-1 experience, valuable life lessons, such as flying to another country just to make your life easier is not realistic.

Kolev said, “The people you meet in America is the most interesting thing here.”

Since the J-1 students come to the United States every summer, some of our local businesses have created a friendly environment for them to hang out, such as Seacoast Church on 22nd Avenue North by the beach.

Every Tuesday at 6pm from June through August the church held a gathering for J-1’s. They would set up games such as basketball, ping pong, and board games for everyone to participate in and then provide a free dinner before the end of the night. Each week they had an exceptional turn out of students.

It was an interesting summer being able to work alongside these students. I hope to see some of them back next year!