Route J-1

By Lynette Evans-Tiernan, Communications Manager for the J-Visa Exchange Visitor Program

At the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, we have a steadfast and enduring commitment to safety and security. This commitment extends not only to U.S. citizens and diplomats overseas, but also to the thousands of exchange visitors from every sector of society who participate in educational and cultural exchange programs abroad and here in the United States.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By, Liz Horne, J-1 Camp Counselor Alumna from Australia

I can vividly remember my first drive down Frost Valley Road, it was mid-June 1986, the light dancing through the trees, the crystal clear water of the Neversink River (smiling in the back seat of the caravan I thought “what a great name for a river – should be good for teaching someone to swim”), the smell of the Catskills Mountain summer and the welcome I received from the summer camp leadership team.

“Ready for anything”

I had arrived early and knew I would be helping with those last minute preparations before camp. Over the next week I tried my hand at fencing horse enclosures, mucking stables, cleaning cabins, moving equipment from its winter storage place to its summer activity area, all the while working beside someone who was thankful for the help and willing to teach me the ropes.

One-by-one as the staff arrived, staff training came and went, I was prepared for what was to come. That first summer I worked as a counsellor in Windsong with the 15 and 16 year old girls and what a treat that was.  We, the staff and the campers laughed, cried, challenged each other, explored topics that all 15/16 year old girls need to talk about in a safe environment, and decided together that girls could do a two night overnight just as easily as boys could, and hiked over Wildcat Mountain to Gusty’s Pavilion.  Read More ›

Categories: Program Spotlight

By Soroth San, J-1 Intern from Cambodia
A version of this story was published on CIEE blog

Finally, my chance to see the Atlantic Ocean in person (not just in a book or on a map!)

I was born and grew up in a poor village in Cambodia. I moved to the capital city, Phnom Penh, and became a student at the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL), majoring in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. I was working as Head of School in Cambodia at an elementary school, encountering a ton of challenges including discipline issues, quality of education, interactions with students’ parents. I was eager for an opportunity to look at other parts of the developed world which have gone through and  successfully implemented education philosophies.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Eli Rolli, Camp Director, YMCA Camp Benson

Read testimonials from international students who served as camp counselors at YMCA Camp Benson during the summer of 2017.

Amy Carolan inside Fort Benson

“While at camp we often heard the phrase ‘child X needs camp’, I never really understood this phrase but I went with it anyway. It was only at the end of the summer after 10 weeks of camp in the USA that I fully understood the phrase. At 21 years old, I realized that I needed camp. My J-1 experience not only allowed me to make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of young Americans, but it also made the most positive impact on my life. It helped me in ways I could never have imagined. It bettered me physically, mentally and spiritually. It is an experience that is so unique to America and something without the J-1 visa I would never have had the chance to experience. I made friends for life during my summer camp experience from all over the world and I got the chance to immerse myself in American culture. International students need summer camp and summer camps need international students. Without my J-1 experience I would be a completely different person. Camp changed me as a person and my outlook on life. It made me a more positive person. It changed me for the better. Camp has the power to change so many lives.” – Amy “Sunshine” Carolan (Ireland)

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Categories: Program Spotlight

Katarína Bacigálová – Poláková, J-1 Camp Counselor Alumna from Slovakia

Camp Counselors at YMCA Camp Wood

Participating in the J-1 program was an amazing experience full of adventure, meaningful work, cultural enrichment and friendships that last a lifetime.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Seema Tamang, Secondary School Student, Kathmandu, Nepal
A version of this story was published on Rotary Voices

Seema Tamang, third from left, with other Rotary Youth exchange students

Seema Tamang, the first rotary youth exchange student from Kathmandu Nepal talks to us about her high school exchange in the United States.

Describe your home life in the United States.

During the 2016-17 school year, I was thrilled to be the first outbound exchange student from Nepal. Being blind, I have to admit I was a bit scared at first, as home life in the United States was much different than in Nepal. In my host-family’s home I had my own room, which was a new experience for me. I was used to sleeping in the same room with my sisters and with other girls in the dormitory at school. Being in a large home was very different and exciting as I got to explore every room and orient myself so that I could move about safely and quickly. It didn’t take me too long to be able to find everything by myself. It seems funny now that when I first arrived I asked my host-mom where the water bucket and pitcher was for flushing the toilet, like we do in Nepal.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Eva Dolezalova, J-1 Short-Term Scholar from Czech Republic

Eva’s wedding day in Las Vegas, Nevada

You can see my husband and me on our wedding day in the picture above. If you guess that we married in Las Vegas, you are right. We married in 2012 and since then we fell in love with the USA. The breathtaking view of Half Dome at sunset will always be imprinted on our hearts. We were just tourists at the time, but we knew that we wanted to come back and stay a little longer to experience more of the life and culture in America.

A few years after, I applied and was accepted for a post-doctoral position at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. I should also say that something changed since 2012, my husband and I had a beautiful little daughter. I was worried about moving and about her, especially because I was a new mother, but we eventually decided that this was “the chance” not to be missed. Read More ›

Categories: Program Spotlight

By Daria Romanovskaia, J-1 Summer Work and Travel participant from Russia

On top of Crowders Mountain, Crowders Mountain State Park North Carolina

This photo was taken on the top of Crowders Mountain, which is situated in Crowders Mountain State Park near Charlotte, North Carolina, where I am working as a lifeguard. It was one of my days off, which I spent with my coworker, a friend from Russia whom I met during my Work & Travel experience this summer. We went with an American family (a mother and her two sons) we got acquainted with at work. The family is really lovely, friendly, and funny.

We spent half of the day at the State Park and it was a beautiful time. It wasn’t as hot as it usually is, so it was perfect weather for hiking. And by the way hiking was an awesome workout! It took about an hour going up the cliff and the road itself was great because we were getting to know about the nature and wildlife of USA.  The best part awaited us at the top of the cliff. When you reach a rocky pass on the way up, a breathtaking view of the green lake of a forest opens to your eyes. You feel young, independent and free. It’s really hard to describe what is going on inside. It’s the kind of feeling when a mysterious transformation takes place in your thoughts and mind and you go down the mountain a different person.

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Avery Benza, Human Resources & Recruitment Manager, American Hospitality Academy (AHA)

Throughout the summer,  J-1participants have been busy volunteering in their local communities. From food banks, to clean ups, to helping the homeless, our participants have been making a big impact in their communities.

Pamela Silva  [J-1 Trainee, Mexico] volunteered at the Kansas Food Bank. “It was incredible to see all that food donated for special causes. I decided to participate just to give back to America a few of what this country has done for me. It is really an amazing experience that I will do again for sure.”

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Categories: Program Spotlight

By Nick Hvidtfeldt, J-1 Intern from Denmark

Nick enjoying the fall foliage in New York’s Central Park

During my four months in New York City I made sure to take advantage of all the exciting opportunities this place has to offer. I rarely had a dull moment, and my friends would often ask me, “Are you even interning?!” because of all the cultural activities and traveling I did. I promise I was! But I utilized every second of my free time to go somewhere new and do something fun.

I made it a priority to visit every New York City borough and explore every neighborhood of Manhattan. I found that an excellent way to do this was to go on guided theme tours. You can find all sorts of different ones that suit your interests. I went on a bubbly tour of Greenwich Village with a drag queen, a fascinating historical tour of Harlem, the Sex and the City hotspots tour, a tasty pizza tour in Brooklyn and many more. I was continually surprised by the myriad of stories each place has and how many different ‘flavors’ can be found in this city. And speaking of flavors, the numerous street food markets I visited around town always satisfied my culinary cravings and opened my eyes to levels of deliciousness I never knew existed!

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Categories: Program Spotlight