Working in Glacier Park a unique experience for J-1 exchange student

Gam Narakornpaijit made lifelong friends and got to climb peaks in Glacier National Park. The 23-year-old from Thailand has many fond memories of spending the summer of 2023 spent working at the Many Glacier Hotel.  

Narakornpaijit worked for Xanterra in Glacier Park, later becoming a student ambassador for a Thai company that helps send J-1 workers to the U.S. She took part in the J-1 program during her senior year, when she was studying biomedical engineering at her university in Thailand.  

Seasonal work in Glacier is unlike any other experience, she said.  

“Looking back, it’s like, ‘Was I dreaming when I was there?’ Because it seems unreal. Like, when I show pictures to people it looks unreal ... I think a lot of people want to go there, and I got the opportunity to work there so I’m really grateful for it,” Narakornpaijit said.  

The J-1 visa, also known as the Exchange Visitor Visa or J student visa, is for anyone outside of the U.S. who wishes to take part in study and work-related exchange programs. Xanterra Human Resources Director Victoria Nix said the company is hiring about 240 J-1 workers this summer, and Thailand remains the top country for recruiting workers. 

Narakornpaijit had a friend who participated in the J-1 program and worked at the Many Glacier Hotel the previous year, which got her interested. When she interviewed for the job, she didn’t understand how large Glacier National Park but knew that there was good hiking to be had in the Many Glacier Valley.  

“You don’t have to drive to go hike at all, you just walk to the beginning of the hike. And I really like the hotel ... some people mind that it’s kind of old, but I was fine with it,” Narakornpaijit said. “And when you walk out the dorms, you see the view of the mountain and the lake. It feels like home. It’s cozy, it’s not too big.” 

She has always had an interest in traveling for school and work, Narakornpaijit said she did an exchange year in Indiana while she was in high school. She wanted to experience more of American culture, but in a place that felt more remote and less busy. Montana seemed like a good choice, particularly with all of the hiking opportunities in Glacier. 

She worked in the gift shop at the hotel and occasionally worked as a hostess in the dining room. As an extrovert, she said it was fun for her to talk with guests, who were eager to talk about their hiking plans for the day. In return, they would often ask her lots of questions about how her summer was going and if she was enjoying Many Glacier.  

It was the most she ever had to speak English, she said, which was a little hard at first. But, she was enjoyed her managers and coworkers, particularly when she got to work in the restaurant of the hotel.  

“The dining room is fast paced, and you have to work with the server. Sometimes they’d get frustrated and I had to know how to handle it ... And I think that’s the challenge, but it’s fun, you know? My friends in dining room were very cool — they’re my age and we had a lot in common, so it was very fun,” she said.  

Narakornpaijit spent that summer hiking with friends. Her favorite was Angel Wing, an off-trail hike that takes people up above Grinnell Glacier. It started raining during the ascent, but it didn’t stop her and her friends from making it to the top. She remembers a water crossing that was made even more difficult by the wind and rain. 

“The water is very cold because it’s next to the glacier, but it’s very fun. My friend recorded me crossing — I was so scared and he was laughing in the back. But yeah, we got up there and looked down. It’s very beautiful views, but it’s very cold, so we stayed there for like only 10 minutes, because the storm is coming, but it was really fun,” Narakornpaijit said.  

There was a plethora of hikes and views she got to enjoy, but Narakornpaijit said spending time with her friends was easily her favorite part of the experience. Her friends threw her a birthday party right at midnight, complete with a cake from her friends who worked in the kitchen.  

The international students are able to share their cultures with their coworkers through theme nights. During a “Thai party” they put up decorations, made Thai food, played Thai games and put on Thai music.  

Donning cowboy hats and overalls, Narakornpaijit and a friend experienced American culture when they attended a rodeo at the Blue Moon in Columbia Falls.  

Her advice to students working in Glacier Park is to be prepared, both physically and mentally. Northwest Montana can feel isolating, particularly to newcomers in Many Glacier, where the nearest Walmart is a three-hour drive. And hiking in the park is not always so easy — she recommends people get in shape a bit before diving in headfirst. 

Spending time with friends and coworkers is the most important part, she notes. Though many of her friends in Glacier visited her in Thailand since working together, their time in Many Glacier was lightning in a bottle.  

“The people you’re with are going to be with you for the rest of the summer, you’re not going to see anyone else there. It’s just going to be you and your friends and the hotel. I don’t know about anyone else, but I loved my friends there ... I don’t have a problem staying with them for the rest of my life,” she said.  

She plans to return to the U.S. to complete her master’s degree and is excited to experience more of the country. When she’s back, there will be plenty of friends to catch up with from her time in Glacier National Park.  

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or by emailing tinman@dailyinterlake.com.