In his home country of Turkmenistan, Ibragim Nurjanov has been a tireless advocate for the well-being of people with disabilities, both as a sports trainer and as a participant in the Democracy Commission. As such, he was a natural candidate for an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on the topic of “Promoting Disability Rights.”
Claire Mattern was unaware at the time that a newspaper advertisement calling for host families would change the course of her life, but ten years later she is still hosting international exchange students.
Lisa Petersen, a private registered nurse, has hosted many Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) students from Eurasia. She found it fascinating how different cultures share so many similarities differently well as so many differences.
When the U.S. Embassy in Cotonou nominated Joannie Bewa to attend the International Visitor Leadership Program’s (IVLP) “Young African Leaders” with 19 of her colleagues from across Africa, she jumped at the chance to gain a better perspective of U.S. culture and policy.
Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program participant Anastasiya engaged in many activities in her new city, volunteering in an animal shelter, participating in sports teams, and helping students with disabilities.
Leslie Jensen, Vice President and Commercial Banker at First Interstate Bank, has always been interested in learning more about people and places outside of the United States. After hearing about the Professional Fellows Economic Empowerment Program, she felt a strong connection to the goals of the program and decided to host a participant from Burma.
