It Takes a Village!
Posted on Friday, July 11th, 2014 at 5:25 pm.
One of the many iconic lighthouses that dot the Nantucket coast line.
What exactly does it take to make sure 80,000 foreign university students visiting seasonal tourist spots across the country have a safe and high quality experience? For starters, a welcoming community with host employers that go the extra mile. Today, I want to spotlight two host employers in Nantucket, Massachusetts, but first let me share some nice-to-know information. According to the Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket means “faraway island” in the language of the Wampanoag tribe who first inhabited the island. Nantucket is as quaint and charming as it is remote and rugged in places. It holds an important place in the history of Massachusetts, and of the early settlement on the east coast. Today, it is one of those special places that adorn the covers of travel magazines.
Categories: Employers
Cookie Diplomacy
Posted on Friday, July 11th, 2014 at 5:19 pm.
Cookies!
I just learned that the chocolate chip cookie is celebrating its 75th year! I also learned that it was created in Massachusetts. It’s funny how you can spend your life eating something and never consider how it actually came into existence. Thanks to the encyclopedic brain of Ocean Edge executive chef, Phil Flath, 80 students from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Jamaica, Romania, Ireland, Serbia, Poland (and there were more), as well as myself, learned how connected culinary traditions are to the people of Massachusetts. Chef Phil taught us how to make the original chocolate chip cookie recipe. Read More ›
Categories: Who's the Person Behind
Engaging Exchange Participants at the J-1 Kickoff
Posted on Wednesday, July 9th, 2014 at 7:38 pm.
Above is a photo of some spectacular young women from the previously mentioned New York event. Milica (pictured on the end to my left) is from Serbia. She asked Under Secretary Stengel for advice on applying her experience as an intern here in New York to her future endeavors as a leader back in Serbia. He told her that she can support democratic values when she goes home, and applying those tenets, she can be a strong leader in any setting.
Categories: Participants
Route J-1 Kicks Off in NYC
Posted on Wednesday, July 9th, 2014 at 7:17 pm.
Ah, the Big Apple. New York City is the world’s city, but it is also a truly American town. Young people all over the world dream of being a part of the bright lights and making their dreams come true. Eighty such young people on the J-1 international intern and trainee programs were recently there for the kickoff of our Route J-1 summer tour. If you would like to know more about opportunities with our J-1, check out our Intern or Trainee programs.
The State Department’s Under Secretary for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Richard Stengel, conducted a program on leadership with the participants who represented 32 countries and three continents. We held the program at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations building. What a view! Above is an action shot of Under Secretary Stengel inspiring us all. Learn more about Rick Stengel and also follow him on Twitter @stengel.
Categories: Participants
| About Rebecca Pasini 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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