Life After VIA...

Over its four decade history, VIA has developed a corps of alumni who remain actively involved in the organization and in cross-cultural affairs in many arenas. Over 1600 Asia programs volunteers  and 4000 Stanford programs participants have brought the knowledge and skills of their VIA experience to bear on their current personal and professional lives. VIA alumni can be found setting up new operations in China, crafting the legal agreements for joint ventures in Vietnam, developing the banking infrastructure in Malaysia, and consulting throughout the region.

For many of these individuals the VIA experience was their first significant cross-cultural experience. Participants in both Asia and Stanford programs look back on their VIA experience as one that widened their perspectives and gave them a greater sense of their place in a global context. 

Many VIA alumni stay connected and play an active role in the organization years after their time with VIA. They play the roles of mentors to new participants, fundraisers for VIA's annual campaign, and spokespeople for VIA's programs in many spheres of their lives. Many members of VIA's staff and board are former Asia programs volunteers or Stanford programs participants, contributing their multifaceted experiences to the continued growth and development of the organization.

When you choose to join VIA as a participant on one of our Asia or Stanford programs, a member of our staff or board, or a donor to our ongoing fundraising efforts, you choose to join an organization that has transformed many lives in unexpected ways. Consider this your fair warning!