Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Happy Songkran!
Posted on Wednesday, May 25th, 2022 at 5:10 pm.
Three Summer Work Travel participants from Thailand, pictured from left, Nattaporn Khonghana, Wannida Thongsripleng and Montatip Putawed, are spending their cultural exchange with jobs with the Davidson Hospitality Group at the DoubleTree by Hilton Park Vista in Gatlinburg, Tenn., this spring. In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, they shared information about the Thai new year holiday, Songkran, which took place April 13-15. Read More ›
Categories: Program Spotlight
Cultural Care Goes to the Boston Marathon
Posted on Wednesday, May 11th, 2022 at 1:38 pm.By: Kristen McDonough of Cultural Care Au Pair.
It’s the kind of spring day that makes New Englanders giddy about the possibility of summer: sunny, low 50’s, with a crisp breeze and warm pockets of sun. In other words, a perfect day for running. The crowds are thick, buzzing with the excitement of returning events and Boston unity. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Making Memories Every Mile at the TCS New York City Marathon
Posted on Monday, November 29th, 2021 at 1:53 pm.By Katie Knoch, Office of Private Sector Exchange, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
BridgeUSA participants volunteer alongside Deputy Assistant Secretary for Private Sector Exchange, Nicole Elkon
This year, on November 7, 2021, the TCS New York City Marathon took place after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19. The 2021 TCS New York City Marathon commemorated the event’s 50th race with runners from all over the world participating both in person and virtually. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Vilnius Marathon Brings Together Different Experiences of Lithuanian Students
Posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2020 at 4:07 pm.By Emilija Buividavičiūtė, Summer Work Travel Alumni, Lithuania
Emilija enjoying the event
Volunteering is always an exciting and valuable experience, especially when it comes to sports-related events. As Exchange Visitor Program participants, we never say no to any new opportunities. That is why when the U.S. Embassy in Lithuania invited us to volunteer in the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon, we were very happy to help out and make our contribution as valuable as possible. It was a great opportunity to be part of one of the biggest sports event in the Baltics, to meet new people, and, of course, to have a fun and fulfilling weekend. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Volunteering at the Vilnius Marathon: Good Fun with Good People for a Good Cause
Posted on Thursday, October 1st, 2020 at 4:58 pm.By Darius Gabrilavicius, Summer Work Travel Alumni, Lithuania
J-1 US Alumni Association Lithuania volunteers at the Vilnius Marathon Individuals wearing black facemasks are members of the alumni association.
Summer Work Travel Alumnus Darius Gabrilavicius reflects on his experience volunteering at the Vilnius Marathon, which was held on September 13, 2020 in Lithuania. Darius volunteered at a fluid station along the race course alongside 43 members of the newly established J-1 US Alumni Association of which he is a founding member. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Medical Residency at a Dedicated COVID-19 Care Center
Posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020 at 6:49 pm.By Dr. Magdi Zordok, EVP Physician from Egypt
This story was originally published on ECFMG’s Journeys in Medicine Blog
Dr. Zordok after rounds (shown first from the left)
On March 17, 2020, Carney Hospital was designated as the nation’s first dedicated care center for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Our patient population would now be only individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 and required hospitalization, either from our emergency department, or from other hospitals within our network. My experience with COVID was, at that point, scarce and limited to discussions with my senior colleagues and the case reports from China and Italy. Read More ›
Categories: Program Spotlight
Discovering the Beauty of Many Cultures
Posted on Thursday, February 20th, 2020 at 3:25 am.By EVP Physician Joelle Wazen from Lebanon
Joelle’s first live baseball game; the annual Pawsox night at the McCoy stadium is a traditional event in her Radiology program. In this photo fellow residents, fellows, administrative staff, attending physicians and their families enjoying the sun, snacks and a great score for the Pawsox.
I’m from Lebanon. I left home to be part of the Exchange Visitor Program to pursue my specialization in Radiology. So far my extracurricular experience has been very enriching. I’ve had the chance to participate in multiple events, gatherings and activities with my fellow residents and other colleagues at the medical center. Being part of UMass Radiology has given me the chance to experience events such as the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrate Thanksgiving etc… Also I visited multiple museums such as the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and did not miss to climb the skyline and visit the bean, spent a whole day at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC and then enjoyed a walk by the Potomac River. My classmates and I went to the Art Museum of Worcester with one of our mentors in Radiology. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
Global Learning By Design: A New Family To Lean On
Posted on Wednesday, January 8th, 2020 at 5:02 pm.By Katelynn Ziegler-Hall, Cultural Vistas
A version of this story was original published on Cultural Vistas Blog
Dalia and Shams’ U.S. experience was a family affair. Outside the office, their Gensler studio colleagues, host family, and friends came together for a traditional Iraqi dinner in October.
In September 2017, Dalia and Sham began their semester long internships with Gensler, a global design and architecture firm in Washington D.C. This experience not only laid a strong foundation for their future career success, but also allowed them to forge lifelong friendships in their American host community. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Celebrating International Education Week – Cooking as a Second Language
Posted on Thursday, December 12th, 2019 at 8:05 pm.By Marjia Panic, Teacher Exchange Participant from Serbia
“Now everybody – wash your hands! Let’s do this! I’m hungry!” Marjia Panic teaches participants how to prepare a traditional Serbian meal at an International Education Week event.
My name is Marija Panic, and I am a Special Education Teacher from Serbia. Currently, I’m participating in Greenheart Exchange’s Teach USA program, and am working at Harvard Elementary School of Excellence. Read More ›
Categories: J-1 Visa, Participants, Program Spotlight
Global Learning By Design: The Business of Architecture
Posted on Wednesday, October 9th, 2019 at 6:18 pm.By Katelynn Ziegler-Hall, Cultural Vistas
A version of this story was original published on Cultural Vistas Blog
Dalia Raad (left) Katelynn Ziegler-Hall (middle), and Shams Qais (right) at Gensler’s Washington, D.C. offices
A long-sought dream became reality for Dalia and Shams in September 2017 as they arrived in Washington, D.C. to begin their internships with Gensler a global design and architecture firm. Read More ›
Categories: 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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