The room was buzzing with excited voices. I was surrounded by proud parents, eager teenagers and experienced professionals who had gathered in Kyiv to celebrate another summer of successful internships for Ukraine Global Scholars (www.ukraineglobalscholars.org).
Diana Mironenko
Anastasiia Malenko, Ukraine Global Scholars finalist, a student at Stanford University.
Ukraine Global Scholars (UGS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Cambridge, Mass., that helps talented Ukrainian students from low-income backgrounds get full scholarships to attend educational institutions in the United States. However, the program goes well beyond support during the application process. It is a vibrant community – more like family – that encourages me to explore my passions and contribute to the development of the broader communities in Ukraine. Every summer UGS alumni return from MIT, Phillips Academy Andover, The Lawrenceville School, Haverford College, and many other notable educational institutions to Ukraine in order to apply the skills and knowledge gained during the academic year.
The Ukraine Global Scholars Alumni Event became a highlight of the summer internships. At last, I got to see my friends and their employers, and talk about the projects they completed and the teams they joined.
Tonia Zakorchemna told me about her time in the FabLab Fabricator, the biggest lab for digital prototyping in Ukraine. During her two months there, she worked on one of the collaboration projects and was responsible for market research, leading empathetic interviews and improving the prototype design. She fell in love with the FabLab atmosphere and shared with the bigger UGS community by organizing tours and explaining the insights of the innovative industries in Ukraine.
I was fortunate to join the team of Nataliya Katser-Buchkovska, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, as a communications intern. While actively participating in the re-election campaign, I learned more about sustainable energy in Ukraine and worked on reports, briefings and presentations necessary to convey to the public the meaning of countless laws and projects. However, it wasn’t only about projects and assignments. For me, it was the first time working in an office setting with a team of supportive and experienced colleagues. Ms. Katser-Buchkovska described the summer as a “hot political season between presidential and parliamentary elections when smart, creative and proactive trainees have opportunities to receive a unique experience.” She added that, even though I, her intern, had no formal university education, I “showed a high level of interpersonal skills and formal knowledge.”
This summer proved to be the most productive out of four years of UGS internships. Eighteen alumni worked for 14 organizations and companies, including Deloitte, Mazars, East Europe Foundation, ZEO Alliance, Metelyk Grant, etc. I attribute this growth to the change of attitudes in the pool of Ukrainian businesses. Instead of cautiously approaching unfamiliar practices and the international students that bring them, employers now eagerly invite us to contribute to the ongoing projects and exchange experience.
East Europe Foundation, a Ukrainian international charitable foundation dedicated to shaping national policies and engaging society in the decision-making process, national-level reforms in the areas of SMEs, administrative services, e-governance, e-participation, regional inclusive and sustainable development, shared its experience of working with Ukraine Global Scholars finalist Olesia Savka. “Maybe the thing that should be told in the first place, young people like Olesia have the desire to learn, have high motivation and try to maximize results in each of the stages of the working process. They already started their career on a high note – came up with a new vision of themselves as an actor, as a professional. With a new plan to make things through projects of international assistance. With seeing the essence of a process versus executing tasks routinely with no clue about why they need to be done. Learning-obsessive enthusiasts. That’s a beautifully crisp definition of who Ukraine Global Scholars interns are,” said EEF Program Director Natalia Slynko.
The U.S.-Ukraine Business Council, which comprises 200 top Ukrainian companies represented around the world, helped to make the event happen. They provided us with a room for networking and, more importantly, professionals to network with. The keynote speaker, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Ukraine William Taylor gave us advice on a variety of opportunities available in the U.S. and ways to use American education to contribute to growth back home. Education remains one of the central ways to establish strong diplomatic relationships between countries and foster the understanding of two cultures.
The room was still bubbling with excitement after the formalities were over. The new generation of UGS finalists, alumni and professionals mingled; there were group discussions as well as one-on-one conversations. I looked across the room and didn’t even notice the beautiful view of Kyiv from the eighth floor. My gaze was fixed on the smiles and murmur of excited voices, coming together to create something new and better for our country.