Denisa Polaskova has a passion for rescuing abused animals. In her hometown of Znojmo, Czech Republic, she studies accounting and advocates for animal rights in her free time. She’s also a lifeguard at a community pool in Ashburn. This year, Polaskova is working for the Alexandria-based company High Sierra Pools, which manages private pools for hotels, apartments, community centers and condominiums across the county. The U.S. State Department’s J-1 visa summer work travel program allows her to work in the U.S. for four months, then stay in the country for another month and use some of her savings to sight-see.