Global Learning By Design: The Business of Architecture
Posted on Wednesday, October 9th, 2019 at 6:18 pm.By Katelynn Ziegler-Hall, Cultural Vistas
A version of this story was original published on Cultural Vistas Blog
Dalia Raad (left) Katelynn Ziegler-Hall (middle), and Shams Qais (right) at Gensler’s Washington, D.C. offices
A long-sought dream became reality for Dalia and Shams in September 2017 as they arrived in Washington, D.C. to begin their internships with Gensler a global design and architecture firm. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Au Pair’s Helping Hands Assist Host Family during Hurricane Harvey
Posted on Wednesday, September 25th, 2019 at 6:10 pm.By Katrina Vanderhulst, Executive Vice President, Au Pair International
Martin receiving Au Pair of the Year Award at Annual Work Experience
Travel Market and International Au Pair Association Conference (WETM-IAC)
Each year, the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) gives an Au Pair of the Year Award. The 2018 recipient, Martin Toth, is a bright and energetic young man from Hungary who lived with a family in Houston, Texas. Soon after joining his host family, the unthinkable occurred. Martin and his host family were forced to deal with the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
How the Global Pathfinder Summit Changed my Outlook on Leadership
Posted on Wednesday, June 26th, 2019 at 5:00 am.By Lauren Rosegreen, Camp Counselor Alumnae from the United Kingdom
Lauren Rosegreen and Roisin Quinn at Global Pathfinder Summit in Charlottesville, VA (May 20-24, 2019)
I first discovered the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) when I applied through the Smaller Earth Camp Leaders program to work at a summer camp in America. Cultural Homestay International (CHI) was my sponsor for my first ever cultural exchange experience, as I went to work as a dance counsellor at Camp Alleghany in West Virginia. Fast-forward three years, and I found myself applying for another EVP to work-abroad as a lifeguard at NJY Teen Camp, Pennsylvania. From enhanced career opportunities to life-long friendships and unforgettable memories, both experiences changed my life. So it was no surprise that when I heard about the opportunity for past EVP participants to apply to become international delegates at the Global Pathfinder Summit(GPS), I jumped at the chance.
Categories: J-1 Visa, Program Spotlight
Becoming a Civically Engaged Global Citizen
Posted on Wednesday, June 5th, 2019 at 6:07 pm.By Tebogo Serepong, Trainee from South Africa
Left: Tebogo getting ready for the Global Pathfinder Summit | Right: Tebogo chatting with other leaders before morning session commences.
When I left South Africa to begin my cultural exchange program in the United States, not only did I get a new physical address, I figuratively also acquired an address which has endearingly placed me outside of my comfort zone. I have made new friends and colleagues and linked up with some old ones, all while discovering and becoming a distinct version of myself. Personal growth has been coupled with tremendous professional development as my career as a Chartered Accountant keeps evolving and being constructively challenged through experience first obtained in California and now Washington, D.C. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants
Sparking Innovation: U.S.-Portugal Pilot Exchange Program Builds Intercultural Understanding
Posted on Friday, March 1st, 2019 at 6:54 pm.About the Author: Lynette Evans-Tiernan serves as a Public Affairs Officer for the Exchange Visitor Program at the U.S. Department of State.
Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce and Ambassador Domingos Fezas Vital of the Embassy of Portugal sign MOU.
On February 11, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce and Ambassador Domingos Fezas Vital of the Embassy of Portugal convened in the State Department’s Treaty Room to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. The MOU will increase intercultural learning and provide structured and guided training for American and Portuguese emerging leaders interested in learning about innovation and organizational growth and development. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Program Spotlight
Building a Dream: Architecture Student Gains International Experience
Posted on Wednesday, June 6th, 2018 at 2:39 pm.By Pablo Ambrossi, Intern alumnus from Madrid, Spain
A version of this story was original published on CIEE blog
Pablo Ambrossi at the Flat Iron construction site, Brickell neighborhood, Miami
My name is Pablo Ambrossi and I was born and raised in Madrid, Spain. I am a 22-year-old student set to graduate in 2019 at the School of Architecture in Madrid, the ETSAM. Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to continue my father´s legacy and become an architect. When I graduate, I plan to obtain some international experience working abroad before eventually returning to Madrid to work alongside my father. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Explore: Yosemite National Park Adventure
Posted on Monday, May 7th, 2018 at 5:41 pm.By Tamires Marques, J-1 Intern from Brazil
Tamires and friend loving lower Yosemite Falls
I love when dreams come true. And knowing the Yosemite National Park was one of them!
Yosemite is one of the most paradisiacal places in the world! If you do a quick search on the most beautiful places to see in California, this park is sure to be at the top of the list. And for me, it was “desire at first sight!” Those who know me well know that I am passionate about mountains, animals, green areas, trails and adventures. And nature did very well in that region, making Yosemite definitely my favorite place in California! Read More ›
Categories: Program Spotlight
Host Mom and Au Pair Run Side-By-Side in TCS New York City Marathon
Posted on Thursday, April 19th, 2018 at 1:36 pm.By Lynette Evans-Tiernan, Communications Manager for Exchange Visitor Program
Soon after meeting, host mom Candice asked her au pair Laura if she would join her in running the New York City Marathon. After months of training and fundraising, they traveled from Verona, Wisconsin to New York City and completed the race. Read More ›
Categories: Program Spotlight
Better To See Something Once, Than Hear About it a Thousand Times
Posted on Thursday, April 5th, 2018 at 4:02 pm.By Branislav Zvada, J-1 Summer Work and Travel Alumni from Slovakia
Watch a video that Branislav’s made about his SWT experience.
Visiting USA has been a dream of mine since childhood. As I’m in my final year of university, I realized that this was my last chance to go to USA through the Summer Work and Travel program. I didn’t hesitate and together with three other friends, I decided to give it a chance and travel. Truthfully, I still can’t believe that I really was in the USA, because the time went by so fast and it felt just like a few days, not a few months. It definitely was the best summer of our lives!
Read More ›
Categories: Program Spotlight
From Exchange Visitor to Business Owner
Posted on Thursday, March 29th, 2018 at 8:36 pm.By Kristin Chasan, Communications Coordinator, Cultural Homestay International (CHI)
A version of this story is published on CHI’s blog
Darya poses with some of her beautiful custom pillows that were inspired by her time in the United States as a J-1 participant.
In 2010, Darya Modestova was just 19 years old. She had just graduated from high school, and was sweating through a hot summer in her hometown of Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. She had no work experience, but she was ambitious and wanted to do something that would help her succeed in life. So, she created a resume and posted it online. Through sheer guile, she earned herself three interviews, and was eventually hired by Resource Interexchange Consulting (RIC) as their Operations Manager. This moment was a turning point in her life, because it was at RIC where she learned about the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program.
She knew that the chance to live and work in America was something she couldn’t pass up, so the very next summer Darya was on a plane to Boston for a brand new experience that would forever change her. Darya spent the summer of 2011 living and working in Cape Cod, Massachusetts as part of her Summer Work and Travel program. She had a great summer, and left with a number of valuable new skills. She learned how to treat others in a professional setting, how to work hard, and how to help a business succeed. She also gained confidence that she could succeed when she put her mind to something. To say this changed her life would be an understatement. Read More ›
Categories: Program Spotlight
| About Rebecca Pasini Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchange | |
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Rebecca A. Pasini joined the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchanges in July 2023. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister - Counselor, Ms. Pasini has been an American diplomat since 1997.
Ms. Pasini previously served as the Director of Public and Congressional Affairs in the Bureau of Consular Affairs from 2021-2023. Other Washington assignments have included positions in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, the Office of Foreign Missions, and as a liaison to the Department of Homeland Security. She has also completed multiple overseas tours, including as Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs in Islamabad, Pakistan, and as the Consular Chief in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Other tours included Mexico City and Kuwait.
A Maryland native, Ms. Pasini has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University, a master’s degree in National Security and Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School, National Defense University, and an undergraduate degree from Mary Washington College.
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