Students from around the world had the opportunity to ask questions directly of a senior U.S. State Department official Wednesday when Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Professional and Cultural Exchanges Shannon Sprenger visited EF (Education First)’s International Language Campus in Tarrytown for a town hall on international education and cultural exchange.
DAS Sprenger, who serves in the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, joined high school and college-aged students studying English at EF, along with cultural exchange participants and coordinators, local educators and Tarrytown community and business leaders.
The visit took place during the United Nations General Assembly week while world leaders gathered in New York City. EF Vice President Shawna Marino described the Tarrytown campus as a “mini-United Nations” of its own as approximately 800 students from 42 countries are living and studying English on the Tarrytown campus.
“At EF, we believe the world is better when people try to understand one another,” Marino said. “Students come here to improve their English, but they also leave with lifelong friendships, a deeper understanding of American culture and a new appreciation for people from all around the world.”
Students led much of the conversation, introducing themselves and explaining what brought them to the United States before asking DAS Sprenger questions about her career, leadership, international education, studying abroad and cultural exchange.
Their aspirations were as international and varied as the campus itself. Fifteen-year-old Andrin from Liechtenstein is studying English because he hopes to become a pilot. Yassine, 19, was born in Tunisia and grew up in Germany and plans to study international business. Julia, 23, came from Sweden in part to push herself outside her comfort zone and gain confidence. Other students talked about improving their English, meeting people from different countries and experiencing American culture firsthand.
Sprenger shared her own experience studying abroad in Morocco and told students that some of the most important lessons of international education happen through everyday interactions with people. “You can read about other cultures,” said Sprenger. “You can study the language in a classroom, but there is nothing like being on the ground and interacting with people.”
She also encouraged students to make the most of the relationships they are forming with people from the United States and with classmates from around the world. “These are the relationships that will last a lifetime,” Sprenger said.
The conversation highlighted the role American families and communities play in cultural exchange. Elisabeth Catalano, a Westchester County resident who has hosted five international au pairs and now works as a local Cultural Care Au Pair coordinator, asked Sprenger what Americans gain from welcoming international students and exchange participants into their homes, schools and communities.
Sprenger spoke about the opportunity for Americans and exchange students and au pairs to learn from one another and emphasized the important role host families play in exchange experiences.
Sports provided another example of the connections that can form across cultures. Andrin, the 15-year-old student from Liechtenstein who hopes to become a pilot, asked Sprenger about the role of international sporting events in bringing countries together.
Sprenger pointed to this summer’s FIFA World Cup and the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles as major opportunities for international connection through sport. “Sports is a great connector,” Sprenger said. “You don’t have to speak the same language, you don’t have to be from the same country or the same background. Anybody can watch the same sporting event and feel a connection to each other.”
Local leaders also brought the conversation back to Tarrytown. Lucia Ballas-Traynor, Executive Director of the Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow Chamber of Commerce, talked about seeing EF students shopping, dining and spending time in local businesses and asked about the benefits communities experience from hosting international students.
Sprenger discussed the relationships international visitors form with Americans in the communities where they live and study and noted that their presence brings substantial economic benefit to local businesses and industries.
Alicia Manguso, principal of Tappan Hill Elementary School, which frequently partners with EF, described the relationship as giving her students an opportunity to experience “cultural exchange in our own backyard.” She asked Sprenger what skills young people need most in an increasingly interconnected world.
Sprenger emphasized the importance of communication and the ability to build genuine relationships.
EF’s Tarrytown campus, located on the former Marymount College property, has welcomed tens of thousands of international students since 2008 to study English and experience life in the United States. Through additional U.S. Department of State exchange programs including Cultural Care Au Pair and EF High School Exchange Year, thousands more international participants are connected with American families and communities.
“We are so grateful to partner with the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through EF’s exchange programs,” Marino said. “We look forward to continuing to enhance opportunities for people from all around the world to visit the United States, experience new cultures, learn new things, and, most importantly, understand one another a little better.”
