- Nearly two dozen Open World alumni were elected or reelected to serve as members of parliament in Ukraine's snap parliamentary elections last month, according to a press release from the Open World Leadership Center. Representing a wide political scope, including both single-mandate delegates and party lists, these Open World alumni have demonstrated key leadership roles within their government and communities.Among the newly elected Open World alumni are single-mandate delegates:Maksym… Read More
- In the suburbs of Almaty, Irina Abasova found her niche. Or rather, she molded it. She started off in the banking industry, but after becoming a mother and with some encouragement from friends, she realized she wanted to be her own boss. So she started her own 3D printing with one used printer. Eventually, she shifted her focus to plastic molds and today she leads a staff of 15 at Creat3D. Last month, she won a government grant through a program that promotes innovative ideas that will… Read More
- Exchange years are formative for many high school students, and Andriy Shevchenko was no exception. A native of Ukraine’s rugged and tradition-steeped western region of Ivano-Frankivsk, he traveled to Alameda, California in 1993 through the Future Leaders Exchange program, which was founded by US Senator Bill Bradley. Today, the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada credits Senator Bradley for inspiring his own political career.Speaking during the 20th anniversary celebration of the FLEX program… Read More
- Growing up in the capital city of Macedonia, Emir Hasanovic learned about America through pop culture and Hollywood.When he applied for the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program in 2008, social media did not have the same level of prominence that it does today. After he was accepted, he imagined how his American story would unfold.He assumed he would be placed in a big city, like he had seen in movies – New York City or Chicago. He was placed in Lyle, Minnesota.In 2008, the… Read More
- Before she studied abroad in Tajikistan with American Councils, Vanessa E. Beary, Ed.D already had extensive international experience. She first studied Farsi while pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Cambridge in the UK in 2005. She later worked as a public diplomacy officer for the US State Department in Iraq, a role that earned her the Outstanding Civilian Service Award from the Department of Defense. It is the third-highest public honor a civilian can receive. She… Read More
- Nataliya Bugayova has never let unlikely odds get in her way. It was unlikely that she would become the first female CEO of a major Ukrainian publication at 25, but she did. It was unlikely that she would be accepted to a master’s program at Harvard at 21, as an international student, but she was. In 2004, it was unlikely that she would be selected as a Future Leaders Exchange student, but she was. She has her mother to thank for that. They lived in a small town, away from the big… Read More
- Long before she was on the shortlist for the Sony World Photography Award— before she ever considered becoming a professional photographer— Anush Babajanyan was an exchange student with a 23 mm film camera. It was a gift from her host mom, Judy Mothershead. As she recalled the story of her first camera, in an interview with American Councils, Ms. Babajanyan said she had never realized before that her interest in photography started back then, in Citronelle, Alabama. “I remember… Read More
- Jesse Lynch and Lisa Roman were two of the last fellows who studied in Syria through Arabic Overseas Language Flagship program. Eleven years later, the two have continued using their language skills to build successful, global careers. Looking back, Mr. Lynch says he was always interested in languages but started to focus his attention on Arabic and the Middle East after 9/11, when he was a sophomore at Florida State University. “I knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to see… Read More
- Another Open World alumna earned a top post in Ukraine this month. Olga Stefanyshyna, a 2017 Open World participant, was named the Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine. Ms. Stefanyshyna was hosted in Sacramento, Ca. by the Sacramento Friendship Force for the "Legislative Developments in Health Care" session through Open World. At the time of the program she was executive director of the charitable foundation, "Patients of Ukraine," where she advocated to make medical treatment accessible for… Read More
- When Jelena Jevtic first heard about the UN Youth Assembly, she wasn't sure if she should apply.But she did. She will be one of more than 1,000 students from around the world involved in the prestigious gathering next month in New York City.Born in Serbia, Jelena is a senior at Bluefield State College in West Virginia, where as the student government association president she has spearheaded the celebration of UN Day, International Women's Day, as well as the first-ever recycling initiatives on… Read More
Sign up for our newsletter.