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
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
The Grand Multiplier: Distance Learning Connects J-1 Trainee with American Students
Posted on Tuesday, December 30th, 2014 at 6:08 pm.
The Grand Canyon digital studio connects people from all over the world.
Earlier this year, I met Gaby Olimon, a wildlife biologist and J-1 Trainee from Ensenada, Mexico, at Grand Canyon National Park. In addition to her on-the-ground training to run wildlife protection and educational programs at the park,Grand Canyon’s distance learning program allows Gaby to multiply her experience by connecting with classrooms around the United States. During the last academic year, the program reached 4,078 students from California to New Jersey in 26 different states. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Assistant Secretary Evan Ryan Meets with J-1 Interns and Trainees in New York City
Posted on Thursday, November 20th, 2014 at 4:30 pm.
A/S Ryan with J-1 interns and trainees inside the UN building in New York City
Earlier this fall, 15 J-1 interns and trainees gathered inside the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York City to meet with my boss, Assistant Secretary Evan Ryan. As Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, she oversees all U.S. exchange programs, and she has made it her goal to meet as many international exchange visitors as possible. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Tour of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Posted on Tuesday, October 28th, 2014 at 7:51 pm.
J-1 students inside a UW-Madison lecture hall
Are you a current or hopeful J-1 exchange visitor interested in attending a university in the United States, or even just visiting a campus? Many J-1 designated sponsors arrange campus visits to U.S. universities for exchange visitors on their programs. Whether or not you dream of studying here, your proximity to an American university campus offers a really fun opportunity. My colleague, Deb Shetler, took a campus tour in Madison, Wisconsin with a group of Summer Work Travel (SWT) students this summer doing just that.
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
J-1 Connect
Posted on Tuesday, October 14th, 2014 at 3:12 pm.
Irish J-1 alumni at the “J-1 Connect” event, hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Dublin, Ireland
J-1 exchanges have had a lasting influence on Irish society. As highlighted in my post in the State Department’s official blog, Irish officials estimate that some 150,000 Irish citizens have participated in J-1 programs since the Exchange Visitor Program officially began. The net result is a group of influential members of Irish society across a broad range of sectors, including government, academics, arts, culture, sports and business, that all have a very special connection to the United States. This is definitely something to celebrate so I am pleased to report we did just that.
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Profile Highlights: J-1 Change Makers
Posted on Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 at 8:12 pm.It is always a privilege for me to meet young people on J-1 programs. So many J-1 exchange visitors truly exemplify the power of international exchange. As explained in my previous entry, I had the opportunity to meet seventy J-1 participants at a three-day Civic Leadership Summit hosted by a designated sponsor organization. The Summit gave participants new skills and ideas to return home with, and to use to make a positive impact. I was floored by the passion in these young people! I also felt inspired hearing that they will use their J-1 experience to improve the world around them. In this post, these remarkable young people speak for themselves and you will see the influence of people-to-people connections!
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
| 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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