December, 2010
The International Exchange Center is proud to announce Bronwyn Cambridge as this month’s Exchange Visitor of the Month. Each month, we select an exchange visitor who has made an effort to get involved in his/her community and explore American culture.
Bronwyn, 25, originally from New Zealand is currently training the Jones Payne Group in San Diego, CA. At Jones Payne, Bronwyn is training in the field of Noise Mitigation. They work with the San Diego Airport Authority and the Quieter Home Program in San Diego to make living close to the airport a less noisy experience. Bronwyn especially enjoys being able to observe the design work that goes into making noise mitigation plans for historical homes.
When not at her training site, Bronwyn has enjoyed getting to know her new city. This is Bronwyn’s third time in San Diego and she has found it to be just as great as she remembered! “I am so stoked to say that I am living My American Dream and proud to call myself a San Deigan, Chargers & Padres fan.” Bronwyn’s idea of the American Dream includes everything from being able to train in her field, to living two minutes from the beach, to being exposed to the melting pot of cultures the US has to offer.
Bronwyn has taken the time to make sure that she gets a taste of everyday American life. “By having American friends and hanging out with them and getting to meet their families has definitely been a great way to be exposed to American living.” She mentions how American families often will have an American flag hanging outside their homes. “Its very patriotic and I love it how proud Americans are to be American.”
During her time here Bronwyn has been able to participate in many holiday festivities such as for Halloween and Thanksgiving. For Halloween “I dressed up as a kiwi spread called Marmite, and went as Marmite Girl!” She also enjoyed participating in a Thanksgiving dinner with friends and being able to share some dishes from her own culture.
In addition to sharing her own culture with her coworkers through explainations of New Zealand slang and care packages from home filled with New Zealand goodies, Bronwyn has been introduced to the different cultures represented within her training site. “I have been exposed to the Indian culture as a result of my Indian co-workers who invited me to an Indian dance festival.
While Bronwyn’s California location makes it possible for her to go to the beach and watch the sunsets over the ocean every night, she still would like to see other parts of the US. Each state and city has its own specific culture and Bronwyn would like to experience more of them, specifically Florida and Chicago.