Elizabeth City, N.C. — After competing against approximately 420 applicants from across the nation, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) Aviation Science major Yasmari Rodriguez-Cuevas, a Cary, North Carolina native, has been selected as one of only 65 Americans to study and work in Germany as part of the 2026-27 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals Program, the U.S. Department of State and Cultural Vistas have announced. The CBYX is a yearlong academic and professional bilateral exchange sponsored through a partnership between the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag (Parliament). The cohort departed for Germany July 29 and will return to the United States June 2027.
Now in its 43rd year, the CBYX for Young Professionals Program provides emerging professionals with an immersive experience that strengthens international partnerships, develops language proficiency, and advances academic and career growth. Sponsored by the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag, the program is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through nonprofit organizations such as Cultural Vistas.
During the exchange, Rodriguez-Cuevas will complete an intensive two-month German language course, study at a German university, and participate in a professional internship aligned with her career interests. Participants are usually placed with host families throughout Germany, where they act as citizen ambassadors of the United States, promoting a positive image of the U.S. abroad, and creating lifelong friendships and professional connections to enhance German-American relations.
The exchange is reciprocal. While Rodriguez-Cuevas is studying in Germany, 65 young professionals from Germany will spend a year living, studying and working in communities across the United States. Participants will attend U.S. colleges, complete internships with local businesses, and live with American host families.
Individuals interested in hosting a German CBYX participant can learn more and apply through Cultural Vistas’ host family program. Over the last 40 years, the program has positively changed the life trajectories of thousands of young Americans. With an expected May 2028 graduation date, Rodriguez-Cuevas credits those who have supported her along the way. She said the trust they’ve placed in her is helping shape the life she’s working to build.
Find out about how the CBYX program builds the skills of American participants in the recently completed independent evaluation.
For more information about CBYX, visit exchanges.state.gov/cbyx or contact Cultural Vistas at info@culturalvistas.org. Applications for the 2027-2028 cohort will open in September 2026. German language skills are not required to apply for the fellowship. More information about the program, including eligibility requirements, can be found here.
