When speaking about the value of virtual exchange, we often point to its role in building critical soft and hard skills for an increasingly global workforce. How do virtual exchange programs achieve this, though? Hear from virtual exchange practitioners on how they designed programs with workforce readiness as a guiding principle, as well as from a virtual exchange alumna on how she was prepared to thrive in her career and life. 

Andie Shafer is Assistant Director, Grants and Programs at the Stevens Initiative, where she oversees the Initiative’s grant portfolio. During her time with the Initiative, Andie has supported over 40 virtual exchange programs and brings a bird’s-eye view of the virtual exchange landscape to her work with partners. Andie also supports the evaluation of grant programs and helps practitioners build capacity to scale their programming. Andie previously worked with the Aspen Institute’s Middle East Program, where she focused on education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship in North Africa. Andie spent time on the Obama reelection campaign in 2012, advancing events for the President, prior to her time at the Aspen Institute. Andie, a proud Michigander, holds a B.A. in public policy from the University of Michigan. She is based in Seattle.

Cassandra Pantel is the Education & Spirits Specialist for Westside Spirits, where she is in charge of the day-to-day operations of this family-owned, upscale liquor store. She specializes in tracking down hard-to-find products for her clients, hosting tastings and educational content, and promoting the brand through social media. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Kirkwood Community College, where she teaches culinary students about all things beverage-related. She is an alumna of the Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge virtual exchange program implemented by IREX, and was a 2022 Stevens Initiative Alumni Fellow. Cassandra is a graduate of Florida International University with a BA in Hospitality Management and working toward her master’s in the same field of study. She is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, U.S., and has interests in distance running, cocktail history, and floral design.

Christina Wagner is the Digital Program Officer for World Learning’s The Experiment Digital, a six-week virtual exchange program connecting high school students in the United States, Middle East, and North Africa. Christina has bachelor and master’s degrees in English from Cleveland State University. She specializes in grant oversight, program management, social-emotional learning, financial literacy, college and career readiness, and community and guardian engagement. Christina also teaches college English and enjoys helping students become better writers. She has completed Project Management training, Inclusive Teaching training from The Ohio State University, and has a certificate from Quality Matters (QM) on Improving Your Online Course. Christina’s passion exists in program development, training, social emotional learning, and course accessibility.

Schiro Withanachchi is the appointed Associate Dean of the School of Business at Queens College, City University of New York. After an early career in aerospace engineering, Dr. Withanachchi transitioned from industry to academia. She draws on her experience of living abroad and 20 years of teaching to develop research focused on the impact of internationalization on innovation. She is the recipient of the Diversity Enhancement Research award by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for her study on the economic impact of international exposure on underrepresented students (2016), the Stevens Initiative Grant for the Global Scholars Achieving Career Success (GSACS) project that incorporated Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) across U.S. and MENA institutions (2021-2023), and the President’s Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Award for Excellence in Teaching (2021). Dr. Withanachchi holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering, an MBA in Decision Sciences, and a Doctorate in Business Administration.