Congratulations to our April Intern/Trianee Participant of the Month, Ian! 

“We would like to nominate Ian because he has had a great outlook on the program. He had a little bit of a tough time in the beginning and considered going home, but then he grew closer to those around him and they started to feel like new family. He has embraced his new city, host employer, and fellow participants and now loves the area. Ian has been pushing himself to try new things both inside and outside of his training. He even climbed into a small fuel tank to help out his team and found that he ended up liking it. Ian has also kept in touch with us at WWCE, and we love hearing the new things he’s been doing. He is definitely taking advantage of this amazing experience, and we can’t wait to see what adventures he does next!” 

- Megan and Samantha

Position: Aircraft Sheetmetal Mechanic. Employer: Commercial Jet. Location: Miami, Florida.    Fun Fact About You: I'm a good singer (only in the bathroom).

Why did you choose to come on a J1 I/T program? Considering that I miss my family all the time, it's because I want to learn something new and to expose myself to the things I'm not familiar with. I grabbed the opportunity to be part of the exchange program. I heard that WWCE gives a chance to people who are willing to to widen their knowledge and skills in their major fields. To work with other nationality is something I really wanted because you can learn a lot from them. From their culture and styles to how they work with other people. I've been to different social activities and I'm loving it. I know there is more out there, and I cant wait to find out and experience them while I'm here.

What are your career plans once you return home? How are you hoping to apply the training you’ve learned? Of course, I'm going to hug my family so tight, spend time with them, and I just wanna stay at home for a couple of days. After that I will look for a job, ready to show what I learned from the program. I'm gonna share this to my fellow airmen. My plan is to work back here in the US if I have a chance or maybe go to other countries. People here are nice; I have no problem dealing with them. It's been 5 months since I started my training, and I can say that I'm learning a lot. My skills as a mechanic, communication skills, relation to co-workers, teamwork are growing. Though there's a language barrier between my partners, it doesn't stop us from doing the job and finishing it on time. I feel that I'm ready to be more independent because every where you go there is always a family. 

What helped you stay on the program even when you considered leaving? What advice would you give to participants who are struggling with adjusting to a new environment? Let me tell you something because this person change my mind. His name is Roco, a cable guy who worked on my internet connection, and he's from Cuba. We all know that there is a gap between Cuba and America; that's why my friend Roco did not get here in the US easily. He had been through a lot just to get here, and it was unbelievable for what he did. He told me that working in a different environment was hard, but "leaving your family for work is the toughest decision you'll ever make". Then I realized why I'm doing this. I need to be stronger and more focused on what I'm doing because in the other part of the world my family is waiting for me. To my fellow participants if you're planning to quit because you're struggling - don't do it. It's only in the beginning. Sooner or later you'll figure it out, you know what I mean. Let yourself explore and create friendship to other nationalities you'll never feel alone. Enjoy your stay here, go outside there's a lot of things to explore.

What has been the most memorable part of your program? The most memorable moment of my program is to be part the Exchange Program and Commercial Jet Family. In this program I met new people from different countries. I had so much fun working with them, you will never get bored. Almost all of them are old like 50's 60's of age and I'm the youngest, but we're cool. Age doesn't matter with them, you can get along with them anytime. We treat each other with respect. In fact we made names with each other, and I have a lot of names. One thing I'm sure im gonna miss all of them once the program comes to an end. Thank you WWCE for this program. GOD BLESS YOU MORE 😊