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Day 1 Blog Post by Semiah Actkins (Liberal Arts)
April 18th, 2026
Today is the day we have all been anticipating, the day we go to China. From the excitement of being accepted into the program to the idea of making lifelong friends, this journey has been building for months. Although we prepared for this trip for a long time, unexpected delays arose. With those delays came unforeseen memories at the airport, laughing and giggling as we navigated new obstacles together.
After 18 hours of travel, the long-awaited news finally came that we were allowed to board the plane. All of the instructors were incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the entire journey. We began boarding the largest plane I have ever seen.
Last night we arrived late to Shanghai due to the delays in San Francisco. When we landed, we were picked up by a representative named Weiting, who led us to a hotel near the airport. We took a bus to make it there and arrived around 10-11pm. At the front desk, we gave our passports to receive our rooms. They handed us a paper with our information, and that’s when I found out I would be roommates with Cedar!
As soon as we got to our room, we took showers. We felt extremely dirty and exhausted. Around 1am, we settled down. I tried watching the News to get a weather report for the next day, but I couldn’t find one, so we went to bed since we had a flight to catch in the morning.
Day 3 Blog (Mireya Cervantes - Electromechanical Maintenance)
April 20th, 2026
Today is our second day in Wenzhou, China. We started our day by going to the Zhejiang Industry & Trade Vocational College (ZJITC). We were warmly welcomed by all the staff and students. We were impressed by the amount of warmth and dedication with which we were received. We took a photo during the Initiation Ceremony with all students creating a reunion between students from Zhejiang Vocational College, South Africa, and Gateway Technical College.
This was a special moment because we were able to take the traditional Chinese photo where everyone stands together and does the iconic peace sign.
Day 4 Blog Post (Anneth Hernandez - IT Cybersecurity)
April 21st, 2026
Today marked our third official day in Wenzhou, and it was a deep dive into the massive industrial power that defines this region. After arriving late at the Awailou Hotel a few nights ago, we’ve finally gotten into the flow of balancing technical learning with cultural appreciation.
Today was all about seeing firsthand how Chinese engineers work diligently and how their companies operate. Our first stop was Weiyi Hongji Group. The scale of the facility was incredible. It is a high-tech enterprise that designs and builds massive electrical equipment such as transformers and switchgear for power grids. It reminded me of the SC Johnson iMET Center back at Gateway, where we also focus on bridging big industry and student learning.
Day 5 Blog Post (Cedar Quarzenski - Liberal Arts)
April 22nd, 2026
I’m going to start with the small routine I’ve created since being here.
I enjoy slow mornings where I can relax and gradually wake up. The breakfast at the Awaliou Resort Hotel has a lovely spread every morning, but by far my favorite thing isn’t even food. It just so happens to be their freshly pressed watermelon juice. I run down to the breakfast buffet to get a glass every morning. It’s fresh, refreshing, and delicious. I might be biased, but it’s definitely one thing I’ll miss when we leave this hotel tomorrow.
I enjoyed breakfast with Chinedu, Mireya, and Jacob today. It was really nice to chat while eating. Apparently, yellow watermelon tastes exactly the same as red watermelon, too. The buffet has a lot of different foods to try each morning, so I look forward to coming down and exploring it.
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