• Skip to main navigation
  • Skip to sub-navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to site map
J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program
Search Site
  • J-1 Visa Basics
  • Programs
  • Participants
  • Program Sponsors
  • Host Families/Employers

Participants

  • How To Apply
  • Current Participants
  • Participant Experiences
    • Anna Karlsson, Trainee
    • Camila Herrán Castañeda, Au Pair
    • Eunbyul Baik, Intern
    • Lisa Retterath, Intern
    • Nicolas Dousse, Short-Term Scholar
    • Seila Alonso, Teacher
    • Sudharani Alamanda, Teacher
    • Szonja Gagyor, Camp Counselor
  • Common Questions for Participants
  • Videos
au pair portrait

Participant Experiences

Participants discover firsthand the J-1 Visa's enriching cross-cultural opportunity to gain mutual understanding of diverse backgrounds and customs. Read their stories and share in their personal journeys.

In their own words

  • Host Families
  • Employers
  • Portrait of Anna Karlsson

    Earning her expertise

    Anna Karlsson, Trainee

  • Portrait of Camila Herrán Castañeda

    My two homes

    Camila Herrán Castañeda, Au Pair

  • Portrait of Eunbyul Baik

    A WEST Student Learns to Lead Through Music

    Eunbyul Baik, Intern

  • Portrait of Lisa Retterath

    Real World Experience

    Lisa Retterath, Intern

  • Portrait of Nicolas Dousse

    A real-world education

    Nicolas Dousse, Short-Term Scholar

  • Portrait of Seila Alonso

    A Spanish Teacher Adjusts to America

    Seila Alonso, Teacher

  • Portrait of Sudharani Alamanda

    Bringing India to her students

    Sudharani Alamanda, Teacher

  • Portrait of Szonja Gagyor

    Better than the movies

    Szonja Gagyor, Camp Counselor

Application Resources

Find a program sponsor

Select a program

  • Au Pair
  • Camp Counselor
  • College and University Student
  • Government Visitor
  • Intern
  • International Visitor
  • Physician
  • Professor and Research Scholar
  • Secondary School Student
  • Short-Term Scholar
  • Specialist
  • Summer Work Travel
  • Teacher
  • Trainee
About the DS-2019 form Explore programs
  • J-1 Visa Basics
    • Facts & Figures
    • About J-2 Visa
    • Other U.S. Student Visas
    • Common Questions
  • Participants
    • How to Apply
    • Current Participants
    • Participant Experiences
    • Common Questions for Participants
    • Videos
  • Program Sponsors
    • Become a Sponsor
    • Current Sponsors
    • How to Administer a Program
    • Common Questions for Program Sponsors
  • Host Families/Employers
    • For Host Families
    • For Employers
    • For Schools
    • Common Questions for Host Families/Employers
  • Programs
  • Resources
    • SEVIS login
    • SEVIS Manual (PDF)
    • DS-2019
    • Sanctioned Sponsors (PDF)
    • Regulations and Compliance Administration
    • Contacts
    • About Us
    • Get Adobe Reader
  • U.S. Department of State
  • Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs
  • FOIA
  • Privacy Notice
  • Copyright Information