In September 1956, Lily was chosen to be Taiwan’s representative for the Youth Specialists program of the International Exchange program of the U.S. Department of State. Her visit was sponsored by the National Social Welfare Assembly in New York City. The program took place in Honolulu, Hawaii and hosted 21 youth leaders from eleven different countries.

During her trip, Lily was able to stay two host families and experience American life. In Grand Rapids, Michigan she stayed with the Philips and the Martins. Both families helped Lily learn more about social work practice in the United States.

Mrs. Martin heavily influenced Lily’s experience in America. Throughout the years, Lily and Mrs. Martin kept in contact and later reconnected.

At the end of Lily’s three-month stay in America, she returned to Syracuse, New York. There she was elected as the group’s Goodwill Ambassador, allowing her to continue traveling around the world for several more weeks. Lily was able to experience an array of cultures as she stayed with local hosts throughout England, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Lebanon, and India.

In a stopover in India, Lily was telegrammed that her mother had suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized in intensive care. Lily immediately flew back to Taipei. Zhang Shuzhen passed away a few days later, on March 8, 1957. Lily regrets that her mother never had the chance to see her daughter make a professional career out of serving others, something Zhang Shuzhen surely would have been proud of.