Block Island: A Welcoming and Supportive Community for J-1 Exchange Visitors
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 at 4:12 pm.
Panoramic view of Block Island, Rhode Island
In this post, my State Department colleague, Nadine Zaatar, describes her recent visit to Block Island, RI, where she met with the local community and J-1 exchange visitors.
J-1 Summer Work Travel participants are lucky to call Block Island home. A truly picturesque isle off the coast of Rhode Island, Block Island is home to over 200 Summer Work Travel (SWT) participants from 19 countries each summer. Block Island also happens to be the home of a volunteer community group with the mission of embracing these participants who help keep the island running during the busiest season. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
J-1 Orienteering
Posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2015 at 11:18 am.
J-1 exchange visitors in front of the New York Public Library during their post-arrival orientation.
As you read this, J-1 SWT participants are landing in airports across the United States and heading to their summer destinations. Some are with friends, some on their own–all with unique expectations. I often remark about how ambitious, outgoing, and ready these students are for adventure. However, I want to see them coming on the program fully prepared for what lies ahead. I know from my own overseas experiences that flying across the world for a brand new experience without proper preparation and expectation-setting can bring on a strong case of nerves, even for the most seasoned traveler. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Home is What Lasts in Your Heart: Camp Homeward Bound
Posted on Wednesday, June 24th, 2015 at 12:32 pm.
Camp Homeward Bound J-1 Camp Counselors with Participants | Photo Credit: Camp Homeward Bound
I loved being up in New York to kick off the second summer Route J-1 roadtrip. After a day of inspiration at Liberty Island, I headed upstate to Bear Mountain, NY. Just an hour or so outside of the Big Apple, and you are in pristine nature.
Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
A Summer of Being
Posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015 at 2:11 pm.
Lady Liberty on Liberty Island
It is now officially summer! This means that I have packed my bags and am hitting Route J-1 for a summer road trip once again. My staff will be joining in the adventure, and we look forward to showcasing the extraordinary J-1 participants who will make the United States their home this summer. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Remembering the Irish Students
Posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2015 at 8:18 pm.
DAS Robin Lerner with J-1 alumni Terry Murray and his wife and Deputy Prime Minister Joan Burton, TD, in Dublin
I was about to post a new blog from New York City kicking off my 2015 Route J-1 summer road trip, but that will have to wait. Today, we are all taking a moment to pay tribute to the Irish J-1 students who lost their lives, and those who were critically injured, when a balcony collapsed in Berkeley, California yesterday. The positive impact of the J-1 Summer Work Travel program on Irish society is simply a fact. I know this firsthand. Last year, I posted a State Department blog post from Dublin, where I met alumni from many generations whose life paths were forever benefited, thanks to their summer in the United States. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
U.S.-Mexico MOU Internship Program Study Tour to Mexico
Posted on Monday, June 15th, 2015 at 2:02 pm.
Sponsor representatives meet with the U.S. Embassy at the Benjamin Franklin Library in Mexico City
The U.S.-Mexico Internship Exchange Program – as chronicled in previous posts (see Mexico MOU Signing Ceremony) – is a central pillar in the bilateral strategy to vastly increase two-way exchanges between our countries. The strength of our relationship and the excitement on both sides of the border to increase cooperation on exchanges encouraged us to try something new. We worked closely with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, and their academic and government partners to arrange a study tour for interested J-1 designated intern sponsors to visit Mexico City and Puebla, Mexico.
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
EVP Teachers Making Connections in La Nouvelle-Orléans
Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2015 at 2:20 pm. |
| French Class Poster, Haynes Academy of Advanced Studies, New Orleans, Louisiana |
The French influence in New Orleans, Louisiana is world-renowned. The cuisine, music, and architecture reflect the city’s roots and rich multicultural heritage. And, thanks to some very dedicated teachers who are in the United States as part of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program, French and American youth have the unique opportunity to further explore each other’s culture online and in-person.
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
From Letter of Intent to Memorandum of Understanding: Ever More Exchange Opportunities Between the United States and Mexico
Posted on Thursday, March 26th, 2015 at 3:17 pm.
A/S Ryan, Under Secretary for North American Affairs for the Government of Mexico Sergio Alcocer, and representatives of the Mexican Embassy
On Monday, March 16, Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan and Under Secretary for North American Affairs for the Government of Mexico, Sergio Alcocer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to officially establish the J-1 U.S.-Mexico Internship Exchange Program. This historic event follows the signing of the letter of intent to create the program on January 5, which was featured in my blog earlier this year. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants
Going West 5 Years Strong
Posted on Monday, January 26th, 2015 at 3:04 pm.
DAS Lerner and WEST alumni at the 5th anniversary gala event
As we showed in my last post, J-1 exchanges play an important role in building good will and strengthening important bilateral relationships. The United States and the Republic of Korea, two strong allies, have had an international exchange partnership since 2008 through Korea WEST (Work, English, Study, and Travel). Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Program Spotlight
J-1 Exchanges: a Pillar in the U.S.-Mexico Relationship
Posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2015 at 3:56 pm.
Assistant Secretary of State Evan Ryan and Undersecretary for North American Affairs for the Government of Mexico Sergio M. Alcocer Martinez de Castro signing the letter of intent.
On January 5, Assistant Secretary of State Evan Ryan and Undersecretary for North American Affairs for the Government of Mexico Sergio M. Alcocer Martinez de Castro signed a letter of intent to formally create a U.S.-Mexico Internship Exchange. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa
| 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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