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
Bringing the World Home to Missouri
Posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020 at 5:50 pm.By Robyn Walker, Executive Director, Cenet
Robyn and Cultural Classroom teachers tour Santo Domingo on the metro aerial cable car
Cenet is a designated sponsor of the Exchange Visitor Program brining international students to the United States on Summer Work Travel (SWT), Camp Counselor, Trainee and Intern programs.
Having grown up in nearby southern Illinois, I was Cenet’s first study abroad student (to the sunny island of Malta), and now have the privilege of serving as the organization’s executive director. My cultural exchange experience enriched my life. It helped me to understand the importance of seeing new places, meeting new people, and being exposed to global perspectives. Prior to joining Cenet, I was an educator for 15 years and always took the opportunity to promote cross-cultural learning, exploration and understanding in the classroom. Read More ›
Categories: Participants, Program Spotlight
The Secret Sauce: Changing Perceptions to Empower Persons With and Without Disabilities
Posted on Wednesday, February 26th, 2020 at 3:17 pm.By Robert Rose, Host parent for secondary school students
Robert Rose (top Right) visiting Nepal (Photo Credit: Armen Stein)
After volunteering as a photographer for a non-profit organization based out of Sausalito, CA back in 1997, I started partnering Rotary Clubs in my area with Rotary Clubs in Nepal to undertake projects helping children with disabilities. About 13 years ago my wife Gina and I started our own small non-profit – TRIFC, to provide educational, nutritional, medical, and empowerment help to children with disabilities in Nepal. 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
Bridging the ‘Last Three Feet’ Over 26.2 Miles
Posted on Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 at 4:39 pm.By Christian Caudill, Office of Private Sector Exchange, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Exchange Visitors hand out Gatorade to NYC Marathon runners in Brooklyn. Credit: Gisela Nilsson, Cultural Care Au Pair
For the fifth year in a row, the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) comprised the largest group of volunteers for the TCS New York City Marathon. More than 1,600 volunteers—au pairs, interns, students, research scholars, and designated sponsor organizations and Department of State representatives—provided runners from 135 countries with water, Gatorade, and encouragement at miles 5 and 6 in Brooklyn and miles 18, 19 and 23 in Manhattan. Read More ›
Categories: 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
Au Pair’s Helping Hands Assist Host Family during Hurricane Harvey
Posted on Wednesday, September 25th, 2019 at 6:10 pm.By Katrina Vanderhulst, Executive Vice President, Au Pair International
Martin receiving Au Pair of the Year Award at Annual Work Experience
Travel Market and International Au Pair Association Conference (WETM-IAC)
Each year, the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) gives an Au Pair of the Year Award. The 2018 recipient, Martin Toth, is a bright and energetic young man from Hungary who lived with a family in Houston, Texas. Soon after joining his host family, the unthinkable occurred. Martin and his host family were forced to deal with the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. 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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