On September 1, Spirit hosted a pizza party for the seven participants living in Sterling, Alaska. Three managers from the participants' work attended as well.
During dinner, we discussed some of the fun things participants have done during their time in Alaska. One participant is an amateur photographer and absolutely loved the opportunity to photograph wildlife in Alaska that he would never have the opportunity to see in his home country. Another participant loves camping and really enjoyed the chance to experience a smaller town in Alaska and work outside at the lodge. The participants talked about their experiences swimming in a nearby creek, fishing in the river and visiting nearby Soldotna. They were surprised by how beautiful the area was and will miss it. One of the participants has loved the small town experience and nature so much that he is planning to spend some time camping at Denali National Park before he returns to China. Spiri’t s J-1 participants are enjoying their time in Sterling and spending time with their American co-workers.