News
Washington, D.C. (June 2, 2025) – A total of 42 participants came together virtually for a half-day orientation for the Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program. Now in its 11th year, the Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State and executed by Cultural Vistas, offers emerging leaders from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia who are part of the Fulbright Program the chance to gain practical experience that enhances and complements their graduate studies in the United States.
The Muskie Fellowship Program collaborates with a variety of host organizations that align with the values and interests of its Fellows. This initiative exposes emerging young leaders to the U.S. work environment, enabling them to bring back valuable knowledge to their home communities. The program will place 42 Muskie Fellows across 17 states, including Washington D.C., New York, Missouri, South Carolina, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Massachusetts, and others. Fellows will gain experience through internships at various host organizations, such as Alliance for Peacebuilding, the World Bank, Miami Music Festival, the New Museum, Habitat for Humanity, Razom, and many more partners!
Participants took part in activities designed to enhance their professional development while they complete internships this summer. The event focused on enhancing the Fellows’ hard and soft skills in preparation for their three-month internship experiences. Additionally, the Fellows explored the significance of contributing to their host communities, honing their networking abilities, and preparing their personal and professional objectives as they embark on this new journey. The Muskie Team emphasized the numerous chances to share these experiences with the wider community throughout the summer.
The program started with a welcome by Ariana Stuhl, Director of Fellowships & Internship Programs at Cultural Vistas, who noted, “Each year, we have the honor of supporting a remarkable group of Foreign Fulbright students through the Muskie Program, and it is always so inspiring to see how Fellows bring their academic backgrounds, lived experiences, and personal values into their professional journeys. This is a program that not only supports their development, but also invites them to lead, to connect, and to contribute in meaningful ways.”
After learning more about the program’s history, Muskie participants discovered various ways to volunteer during the summer to meet the Muskie Program’s public service requirement to their host communities. Megan Curran (Capital Area Food Bank) enlightened participants on food scarcity in the D.C. area and nationally, sharing how they could help at local food banks nationwide. Janelle Carlson and Samantha Spenchian (United Way) shared how volunteering helps their mission of improving lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around the world.
The program ended with a session about the different types of events for networking in the U.S. workplace and how Muskies can partake in these discussions. To close the event, the Muskie Program was joined by Jacqueline Viselli, Grants Officer for the Muskie Program under the Office of Press and Public Diplomacy at the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. In her closing remarks, Viselli exclaimed, “It’s super inspiring to have you all here and committed to this program. I’ve seen hundreds of incredible students do amazing things in this program and beyond the program. This is your opportunity to learn a lot more, not just in school, but also in the United States workplace, through your job. We appreciate you being here, and I’m excited to see you in person at the end of your program. A big thank you and good luck!”
The Muskie Professional Fellowship Program continues to serve as a dynamic platform for fostering cross-cultural exchange, professional growth, and leadership development. As Fellows embark on their summer internships, they carry forward the program’s mission of deepening their understanding of U.S. work culture, developing practical skills, and applying their experiences to create meaningful, long-lasting impact in their home communities.
About the Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program
In its 11th year of programming, the Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by Cultural Vistas, gives Fulbright Program emerging leaders from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia the opportunity to gain real-world experience that complements and enriches their graduate studies in the U.S.
Since 1992, the U.S. Department of State has provided thousands of graduate school fellowships for students from across Eurasia to build democracies, strengthen the transition to market economies, and establish strong civil societies. Cultural Vistas has built upon that foundation by providing hands-on, professional skill-building opportunities across the United States for more than 450 graduate students over the last ten years.