Some connections don’t fade with distance or time. On March 17, nearly 100 BridgeUSA alumni gathered in Sofia, Bulgaria to prove exactly that and to celebrate something bigger than a reunion.
The occasion was the BridgeUSA Alumni Reception, themed “Exchange and America at 250.” It was a fitting moment. As the United States prepares to celebrate 250 years as a nation, exchange programs like Work & Travel USA represent one of the most enduring ways that the relationship between America and the rest of the world has been built – not through policy or diplomacy alone, but through lived experience: summers spent working alongside Americans, exploring national parks, and forging friendships that cross borders and time zones.
The energy in the room reflected it.
A Night to Reconnect
The reception was held alongside the Work and Educational Travel Market (WETM) Conference and International Au Pair Association (IAPA) annual gathering, bringing together program sponsors, exchange organization leaders, and international partners from across the field.
The U.S. Embassy in Sofia was well represented. Six embassy staff attended, including Chargé d’Affaires H. Martin McDowell, whose remarks set the tone for the evening with a clear message: these programs matter. The work of building understanding between nations happens one participant at a time, and the alumni in that room are proof of what’s possible.
For the attendees, the evening offered something equally valuable: the chance to reconnect. To share stories about their time in the U.S. with people who understood what that experience meant.
What Alumni Have Told Us
Years after returning home, the impact of programs like Work & Travel USA stays with participants. Here’s what past alumni have shared with us:
“My most memorable experience from my Work & Travel USA program was meeting people from all over the world. I had the chance to learn about different cultures, make lasting friendships, and improve my English while working in a team. It was amazing to see how people from different backgrounds could work together and support each other.”
“One of the highlights was celebrating the 4th of July together on the beach, watching fireworks light up the sky. In that moment, I felt both the excitement of experiencing American culture and the warmth of having a global family around me. It was a reminder that no matter where we come from, we can relate deeply when we share experiences and open our hearts.”
“My overall experience with the Work and Travel program in the USA was really great! I had the chance to gain valuable professional experience, meet people from diverse backgrounds, and immerse myself in American culture. The opportunity to travel and explore was a highlight, and I also experienced personal growth during my time there. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to combine work, travel, and personal development.”
More Than a Program
What events like this make visible is something InterExchange has always believed: exchange doesn’t end when the visa expires.
The bonds formed through Work & Travel USA – with coworkers, host communities, fellow participants from dozens of countries – become part of a global network that lasts long after the flight home. The Sofia reception brought that network back into the same room. Alumni who had worked at resorts in Florida, national park gateways in Colorado, and beachside shops in towns on the East Coast, now reconvened as professionals, as friends, as people brought together by a common experience.
Bulgaria has a strong and longstanding Work & Travel USA community. The reception was designed with purpose — using the occasion of America’s 250th anniversary to strengthen connections across the Atlantic and re-energize the network of Bulgarian alumni who have participated in U.S. exchange programs.
The U.S. Embassy in Sofia is also investing in what comes next, offering grants through the 2026 Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund for alumni-led projects that put these values into action in their own communities.
Why Exchange Still Matters
The U.S. Department of State’s BridgeUSA initiative exists because international exchange serves a purpose that outlasts any single summer. It builds the kind of mutual understanding that no classroom can fully replicate. Alumni of these programs become ambassadors – not in an official sense, but in the most genuine one. They go home knowing America not as an idea, but as a place. As people they know by name.
InterExchange has been part of this mission since 1968. In the last 50-plus years, more than 300,000 young people have participated in our programs. The alumni gathered in Sofia are part of that legacy.
Ready to Write Your Own Chapter?
If you’re a student looking to work and travel in the United States, there’s a community waiting for you to share in that experience.
