News

They were visiting to meet with partners, supporters, and alumni of Exchanges for Culture, Education, and Leadership (ExCEL) and to reach out to potential host schools for ExCEL Abroad. The reciprocal component to the program is funded by a Kazickas Family Foundation grant, and the first U.S. students will go to Lithuania this fall, with more to follow in the coming academic years.

During their trip, Tadas Vizgirda and Živilė Sabaliauskaitė of the American Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania made Ambassador Derse an Honorary Member of the AmCham, and AmCham board member Ms. Giedrė Kvedaravičienė became the official Ambassador of ExCEL in Lithuania. The American Chamber of Commerce has been a valuable supporter of the program for many years, and American Councils is honored by the deepening of this special relationship.

Long-time corporate partner Strategic Staffing Solutions sponsored an ExCEL Reception at the Kazickas residence, providing alumni and their parents to reconnect with the founder of the life-changing program, Ambassador Derse, as well as an opportunity for friends of the program to renew their ties to these bright young people who represent Lithuania’s future. Among the distinguished guests were Agnė Jurkšienė, Austėja Karalevičiūtė, and Vitalija Stankutė of Intermedix; Vladas Lašas of UPS; Ilja Laurs of Nextury; Rūta Pumputienė of Local American Working Group; Sarah Talalay of US Embassy, Lithuania; and representatives of the US-LT Alumni Association.

Recently the Bajorunas-Sarnoff Foundation, Strategic Staffing Solutions, and Thermo Fisher Scientific agreed to increase their annual contributions in honor of ExCEL’s 5^th Anniversary. Ambassador Derse and Miriam Parel have welcomed their renewed investment in the program and were pleased by the willingness of several local and international schools in Vilnius to invest in ExCEL Abroad by hosting two American students in the fall.  

“Over the past five years we have brought over thirty Lithuanian students to the U.S.,” says Ambassador Derse, “and we are deeply grateful to the Kazickas Family Foundation for its support, enabling young American leaders now to gain direct personal experience of a wonderful country and great U.S. friend and ally - Lithuania. Strong ties between our people are the foundation for enduring strong relations between our countries." 

Ambassador Derse and Miriam look forward to another successful year of ExCEL in the fall and invite you to join them and the Kazickas Family Foundation in supporting Lithuanian and American leaders of tomorrow at https://www.americancouncils.org/donate.