The Fourth of July!
Posted on Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 at 6:48 pm.
J-1 SWT participants from China participate in the annual Fourth of July parade in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
The Fourth of July, U.S. Independence Day, is quite often the highlight of the J-1 summer, and the holiday leaves a strong impression on our visitors. We love to hear stories of participants being invited to experience the diverse ways in which Americans celebrate this important holiday. This year, we asked our Summer Work Travel and Camp Counselor sponsors to share some of their favorite Fourth of July moments. Below is a montage of some of them. These photos illustrate the cultural exchange that happens in neighborhoods all across the country, thanks to the phenomenal exchange visitors and support by local host employers and sponsors that make up the Exchange Visitor Program.
J-1 SWT participants from China, on the margins of the Independence Day parade in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Exchange visitors from the UK celebrate the Fourth of July with a Statue of Liberty frame at URJ Camp Harlam in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania (L to R: Tafadzwa Kadye, Holley-Ann Mimms, Rachel Hayward)
Maja Skoric, a J-1 exchange visitor from Croatia, celebrates the Fourth of July with fireworks in Ocean City, New Jersey.
The fireworks display in Ocean City, New Jersey as seen by Maja Skoric
Exchange visitors from Turkey, Jamaica, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Jordan, Romania, China, Colombia, Serbia, and Ukraine celebrate Fourth of July by watching fireworks at an outdoor celebration in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were invited by their host employer, the Cincinnati Pool Management.
Maryna Lukianenko, a J-1 exchange visitor from Ukraine, celebrates the Fourth of July with treats, sparklers, and with her co-workers in Keystone, South Dakota.
Camp Counselors at Camp Carolina in Brevard, North Carolina prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July
Camp Counselors from Australia and New Zealand at Camp Carolina participate in a series of special activities and skits to commemorate the Fourth of July.
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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