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UNITED STUDIES STUDENT EXCHANGE

United Studies specializes in both work and travel programs as well as high school exchange programs. Our programs are designed to promote educational and cultural growth between the United States and other countries. United Studies operates under the vision that international exchange can and will broaden understanding between people, from all parts of the world.
COMPANY HISTORY

United Studies, Inc. Student Exchange was formed in 1985 through a “Sister-State Agreement” signed between the State of Oklahoma and the Prefecture of Kyoto, Japan. As a part of this agreement, five high school students from Kyoto would live with host families in Oklahoma and attend a local high school. Oklahoma students would also have the opportunity to study in Kyoto. The first year of this program was operated by the office of the Governor of Oklahoma, but due to the amount of time and manpower needed to manage the program, it was turned over to the private sector. The program was then developed into a non-profit organization and expanded to include students from all around the world placed across the U.S. The program has consistently grown in the near thirty years since its inception.
Greg White
President and CEO
 
After completion of his studies at the University of Oklahoma, Greg began his career with international exchange programs. Shortly after his employment began in 1988, Greg was asked to take on the role of President, as he still serves today. Over the years United Studies has seen thousands of students from a variety of countries, successfully complete programs offered through United Studies. Greg has been very involved with the development of international exchange on a global level. Much of his involvement places a focus on the safely, health and welfare for international participants. Greg served on the Board of the Council on Standards for International Exchange and Travel (CSIET). Over his six year term with CSIET, he served on the Executive Committee, Model School Policy Committee, as well as Secretary and Treasurer. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis, hiking, running and travel. Greg has three sons and a daughter from Russia.


Summer Work and Travel Staff

   
    Jenifer
Bierman
     

  Jen comes to us with an eclectic background in government, legal, and insurance industries.  For almost two decades she worked in government and legal settings and then received her licensing in many fields of insurance primarily working natural disaster deployments.  Her academic background is in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Communication and Sociology along with a certification in Paralegal Studies. She has a passion for helping others and for learning.  She traveled extensively around the United States while working and internationally on her free time. She has had a lifelong passion of learning and knowing other cultures outside of her own. Her family and friends’ cultural backgrounds are also diverse with having family relocated from Europe and some still residing inside of the United Kingdom.  Her and her husband believe it is important for their children to learn via experiences and culture and place heavy emphasis on teaching them those things via travel. Jen believes her past employment combined with her maternal compass led her to United Studies to be able to use the combined set of skills to help participants in the programs comfortably navigate from their home countries to the United States.
     



High School Programs Staff

     
Jacki Dyrholm
Danielle Allenbrand
 
Applications & ARO High School Programs
Program Compliance Manager and ARO, High School Programs    
         
After answering an advertisement looking for host families for exchange students, Jacki and her family wholeheartedly embraced the program and became active participants in the exchange student community. She believes that growing up around the world as a US Navy "brat", moving to Europe after college, and marrying a guy from Denmark has helped prepare her for hosting and working with exchange students. They have hosted nine exchange students since 2012. She and her family live in the Washington DC metro area with their six dogs (plus foster dogs from various animal rescues), horses, reptiles and other small animals. Buying a farm is next on their list! Besides trying to convince everyone they need to host an exchange student, Jacki enjoys traveling, photography, cooking, and reading. She is happy to be a part of the United Studies team and to continue to expand her knowledge of the world through student exchange.
Danielle was exposed to exchange while in high school. Her family hosted a student from France and a student from China. The memories of being a host sister stuck with Danielle so when she became a mom, she encouraged her family to begin hosting students. Hosting turned into an opportunity to work with United Studies as a coordinator and now in the office. Danielle loves exchange and working with families, students and coordinators to help everyone have a successful experience. She hopes that everyone learns and grows from exchange and tries to find the life lesson in each memory. Danielle and her husband have two children of their own and an ever-growing family of exchange students. Danielle loves working in her flower garden, talking to new people and tries to spend time recharging at the beach as often as possible! Danielle hopes to make the world a smaller place through exchange.
 



Camp Counselor


Gail Leopold
Business Development Manager/Staffing


Previously from Connecticut and now living in Westchester, New York, Gail has been in the J1 industry for over 35 years. Having gained much experience during that time by visiting camps, meeting with directors, conducting orientations for participants both abroad and in the U.S., and as an American Camp Association Standards Visitor, she continues to endeavor matching participants with camps so a great experience is had by both camp and counselor. 
 
She brings to United Studies her knowledge of camps and expertise in the J1 field in order to help increase market share, and share her joy in making placements that insure a successful camp experience for everyone.



CONTACT US

Email: High School Programs
           Summer Work and Travel Programs
           Camp Counselor
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

United Studies, Inc. is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a sponsor for the Academic Year Program and the Work and Travel Program. United Studies, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization receiving no funding from the U.S. or any other government for its operations. No United Studies, Inc. J-1 participants receive government funding.
United Studies has been found by The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) to have fulfilled all of the requirements for listing and has been granted J1 listing for the Advisory List of International Educational Travel and Exchange Programs.
Mailing address:
United Studies, Inc.
P.O. Box 22863
Hot Springs, AR
71903-2863		 Physical address for UPS, FedEx, and other parcel carriers:
United Studies, Inc.
100 Ridgeway Street, Suite 1A
Hot Springs, AR
71901-7157

 
UNITED STUDIES STUDENT EXCHANGE

United Studies specializes in both work and travel programs as well as high school exchange programs. Our programs are designed to promote educational and cultural growth between the United States and other countries. United Studies operates under the vision that international exchange can and will broaden understanding between people, from all parts of the world.
 
COMPANY HISTORY

United Studies, Inc. Student Exchange was formed in 1985 through a “Sister-State Agreement” signed between the State of Oklahoma and the Prefecture of Kyoto, Japan. As a part of this agreement, five high school students from Kyoto would live with host families in Oklahoma and attend a local high school. Oklahoma students would also have the opportunity to study in Kyoto. The first year of this program was operated by the office of the Governor of Oklahoma, but due to the amount of time and manpower needed to manage the program, it was turned over to the private sector. The program was then developed into a non-profit organization and expanded to include students from all around the world placed across the U.S. The program has consistently grown in the near thirty years since its inception.
 
Greg White
President and CEO
 
After completion of his studies at the University of Oklahoma, Greg began his career with international exchange programs. Shortly after his employment began in 1988, Greg was asked to take on the role of President, as he still serves today. Over the years United Studies has seen thousands of students from a variety of countries, successfully complete programs offered through United Studies. Greg has been very involved with the development of international exchange on a global level. Much of his involvement places a focus on the safely, health and welfare for international participants. Greg served on the Board of the Council on Standards for International Exchange and Travel (CSIET). Over his six year term with CSIET, he served on the Executive Committee, Model School Policy Committee, as well as Secretary and Treasurer. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis, hiking, running and travel. Greg has three sons and a daughter from Russia.

Summer Work and Travel Staff
 
 
 
Jenifer Bierman
 
 
Jen comes to us with an eclectic background in government, legal, and insurance industries.  For almost two decades she worked in government and legal settings and then received her licensing in many fields of insurance primarily working natural disaster deployments.  Her academic background is in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Communication and Sociology along with a certification in Paralegal Studies. She has a passion for helping others and for learning.  She traveled extensively around the United States while working and internationally on her free time. She has had a lifelong passion of learning and knowing other cultures outside of her own. Her family and friends’ cultural backgrounds are also diverse with having family relocated from Europe and some still residing inside of the United Kingdom.  Her and her husband believe it is important for their children to learn via experiences and culture and place heavy emphasis on teaching them those things via travel. Jen believes her past employment combined with her maternal compass led her to United Studies to be able to use the combined set of skills to help participants in the programs comfortably navigate from their home countries to the United States.


High School Programs Staff
 
 
Jacki Dyrholm
Applications and ARO, High School Programs
 
After answering an advertisement looking for host families for exchange students, Jacki and her family wholeheartedly embraced the program and became active participants in the exchange student community. She believes that growing up around the world as a US Navy "brat", moving to Europe after college, and marrying a guy from Denmark has helped prepare her for hosting and working with exchange students. They have hosted nine exchange students since 2012. She and her family live in the Washington DC metro area with their six dogs (plus foster dogs from various animal rescues), horses, reptiles and other small animals. Buying a farm is next on their list! Besides trying to convince everyone they need to host an exchange student, Jacki enjoys traveling, photography, cooking, and reading. She is happy to be a part of the United Studies team and to continue to expand her knowledge of the world through student exchange.
 
Danielle Allenbrand
Program Compliance Manager and ARO, High School Programs
 
Danielle was exposed to exchange while in high school. Her family hosted a student from France and a student from China. The memories of being a host sister stuck with Danielle so when she became a mom, she encouraged her family to begin hosting students. Hosting turned into an opportunity to work with United Studies as a coordinator and now in the office. Danielle loves exchange and working with families, students and coordinators to help everyone have a successful experience. She hopes that everyone learns and grows from exchange and tries to find the life lesson in each memory. Danielle and her husband have two children of their own and an ever-growing family of exchange students. Danielle loves working in her flower garden, talking to new people and tries to spend time recharging at the beach as often as possible! Danielle hopes to make the world a smaller place through exchange.
 
 
 
 


Camp Counselor
 

Gail Leopold
Business Development Manager/Staffing


Previously from Connecticut and now living in Westchester, New York, Gail has been in the J1 industry for over 35 years. Having gained much experience during that time by visiting camps, meeting with directors, conducting orientations for participants both abroad and in the U.S., and as an American Camp Association Standards Visitor, she continues to endeavor matching participants with camps so a great experience is had by both camp and counselor. 
 
She brings to United Studies her knowledge of camps and expertise in the J1 field in order to help increase market share, and share her joy in making placements that insure a successful camp experience for everyone.
 
CONTACT US

Email: High School Programs
           Summer Work and Travel Programs
           Camp Counselor
 
 
DEPARTMENT OF STATE

United Studies, Inc. is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a sponsor for the Academic Year Program and the Work and Travel Program. United Studies, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization receiving no funding from the U.S. or any other government for its operations. No United Studies, Inc. J-1 participants receive government funding.
 
 
 
United Studies has been found by The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) to have fulfilled all of the requirements for listing and has been granted J1 listing for the Advisory List of International Educational Travel and Exchange Programs.
 
 
 
Mailing address:
United Studies, Inc.
P.O. Box 22863
Hot Springs, AR
71903-2863
 
Physical address for UPS, FedEx, and other parcel carriers:
United Studies, Inc.
100 Ridgeway Street, Suite 1A
Hot Springs, AR
71901-7157

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