Our graduates
Over the past 7 years, we have graduated 1208 students who have become a community of learners, developers, volunteers, and service members in the Armed Forces. Our graduates have found employment in top companies and institutions, collaborated with city councils and entrepreneurs, and even created their own startups. They study at some of Ukraine's leading higher education institutions, including NaUKMA, UKU, KPI, KNU named after T. Shevchenko, and LNU named after I. Franko. Some have continued their studies at prestigious universities abroad, such as Minerva Schools at KGI, London Arts University, University of Toronto, Warsaw School of Economics, and University of Ottawa.
Following the recent full-scale invasion, approximately 50 of our graduates have joined the ranks of the Armed Forces, while hundreds have joined the volunteer movement and even founded their own volunteer initiatives.
- Sofia Academy Graduates Club
- Graduates’s projects
- Graduates' career
- Graduates say about program
Club "Sofia"
is a network of values, friends, ideas and actions, which today has about 600 members.
The purpose of the Club is to unite and strengthen the graduates of the Ukrainian Leadership Academy through the development of a platform of co-operation for the qualitative transformation of Ukrainian society.
Among the main formats of the Club's activity are meetings with opinion leaders around the discussion of current topics and texts, networking, field events, as well as the creation of projects that unite and develop both our community and Ukrainian society. We know: the world of people is created by people - brave, creative, stubborn, with horizons ahead and with their own destiny in tightly clenched fists. That is why we believe in and develop a community of like-minded people to create a better world.
Thanks to participation in "Sofia", graduates have the opportunity to regularly communicate, get to know each other, share their own ideas and implement them together. The Club team, in turn, organizes a platform for such interaction, and also selects the best opportunities for training, employment and development of members.
Команда Клубу:
Head of Community Department
Manager of the Alumni Relations Department
Graduates’s projects
Our graduates generate bold ideas, skillfully organize processes and are not afraid of taking responsibility. Even today they are implementing important projects that are changing our society.
Ilona Voronina
The main goal of this platform is to financially support the collection for various needs. We are approached by volunteers, military families, local foundations, and individual units of the Armed Forces with a request to post their request on the channel.
The project involves 18 volunteers from around the world, including Academy alumni. We personally check requests and take responsibility for their credibility. Through us, you can quickly respond to specific needs and support someone in need. 1 day - 1 collection.
The channel already has more than 350 collections, and every day we raise small but important amounts. Since the project's inception, we have helped raise more than UAH 2.5 million.
Nazar Kiryk
For me, it is primarily about resilience. At the Academy, I learned to be systematic and accept challenges. Daily joint exercises, challenges, marathons - all this gradually toughens the body and spirit. And each new challenge lights a fire inside me to act.
I often heard about various cool challenges from people and thought that I could combine my running with fundraising. In this way, I wanted to draw people's attention to charity.
So every day for a month I ran one half marathon, and later I ran 121 km from Lviv to Ivano-Frankivsk together with another Academy graduate, Vlad Deliatytskyi.
In this way, we managed to raise almost 700 thousand hryvnias. We used the money to buy drones that are now helping our soldiers in their combat missions.
Yuliana Somar and Dzvenyslava Hryniv
The story of our project began at a lecture at the Academy. We had a meeting with Chad Zoratli, a Lviv entrepreneur of Greek descent, who told us about a project that had been suspended at the time, the Sunday BazaarR fair of Ukrainian brands.
We liked it so much that after the lecture we came up with a proposal to resume it. And it worked! A week after graduating from the Academy, we held our first market, which featured 16 local brands of clothing, jewelry, and various craft items. Now, 90 brands are already gathering at one such fair.
Since the full-scale invasion, our project has become charitable. Each brand donates 20% of its profits collected at the fair, and we transfer these funds to the specific needs of the Armed Forces. This way we managed to raise about 700 thousand UAH.
The Academy gave us the first impetus and remains involved in many processes: current students volunteer at the location, alumni join as founders of their own brands, and perform on our stage with their own music bands.
Nazariy Nikolaychuk
killed in the war called "Unissued Diplomas"
In June 2022, I received a message from my mentor at the Academy and a close friend that one of his students had died. A few days later, we were standing on the Champ de Mars, honoring the fallen soldier Maksym Vasylyshyn. For me, it was one of the hardest days of the war: the guy was 18, 3 years younger than I. On the way home, I wrote to my friend that I would do something in my life in memory of Maksym.
Later, I got the opportunity to study as an exchange student at the University of Toronto, where we organized many cultural projects in support of Ukraine. While I was studying, I saw the news that an exhibition of "Unissued Diplomas" of those students who died because of the war was held on Rynok Square in Lviv. I really liked the idea, so I decided to implement it in Canada. I assembled a team, most of which consisted of the Academy's graduates.
In less than 2 months of daily work, on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, we launched the Unissued Diplomas exhibition in more than 45 universities around the world. In the exhibition format, we presented "unissued diplomas" of students whose lives were taken by Russia. Among them is Maksym's diploma, whose story became the driving force behind this project.
The exhibition was seen in 20 countries on 4 continents. It was visited by, among others, the Prime Minister of Norway, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, diplomats from Japan, Australia, Finland, Canada, and other countries.
As part of the project, we launched a charity fundraiser and raised over $12,000. For these funds, we purchased 4 drones and medical supplies for our army.
Ivanna Lishchuk
I like everything related to art. While still studying at the Academy, we founded the Holidays Department together with other students. We organized themed birthdays for everyone, as well as reflections, parties, and concerts.
A few years later, we managed to found a collective art movement called Lesia Kvartirynka. It is a community of artists divided into departments who work together and are not afraid to realize crazy ideas.
In this circle, I set the pace, adjust the direction of the movement, look for new people and musicians. I like the way music can heal. At Kvartirynka events, magic happens - people open up and become each other's friends
Ilona Shevchuk
In the Academy, we used an old sewing machine to make 275 toy angels as presents to the residents of Kharkiv. It reminded me of my childhood. If was my first push to sewing. Later I made a blanket for my friend using pieces of fabric and that's when I figured out that one can sew from junk materials.
And after lectures on recycling and conscious consumption, I got interested in the idea of reducing waste and started altering the used clothes. Friends from the Center helped me to buy my own sewing machine through crowdfunding. That's how I came up with the idea of a sewing workshop. The first backpack was made of leftovers from the production of frameless furniture, where I used to work part-time. Now we are sewing fanny packs and bags from these very scraps. However, now it's not a hobby but my main work.
Our products are sold all over Ukraine and abroad. I am glad that we are doing something more purposeful than just backpacks. We create something useful from useless and show the importance of recycling. The Academy gave me confidence, taught me to dream and not be afraid of sharing my idea, because there will always be people who are ready to help.
Ivan Horovskyi
As a representative from the Academy, I have volunteered at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Back then I was interested in podcasts and wanted to create one about entrepreneurship. In the Academy, I learned a lot how to improvise and be flexible, not to feel the remoteness of people who might seem distant at first.
As a result, at the Forum I have spontaneously recorded my first interview for "The Founders" with Yura Fyliuk from the "Teple Miso" and later with Yaroslav Anzhaniuk, founder of a Ukrainian startup Petcube. In my podcast, I talk about Ukrainian entrepreneurship from the perspective of creating value for people, not from the perspective of earning.
"The Founders" podcast already has 22 episodes that were listened to 25 thousand times and it has already got its first advertiser. I believe that podcasts can become an alternative for quick content consumption as they are better for conveying important values and telling stories.
Andrii Stashkiv
It was March 2020, the beginning of the pandemic. When my friend's parents got sick in Italy, I understood that tomorrow the same may happen with my nearest and dearest here, in Ukraine. At the Academy, I gained practical skills in creating projects and understanding that I can make changes around me.
I decided to combine these skills and my IT experience — so my friends and I created an online platform to counter the pandemic. This is a website with a map of healthcare facilities in the frontline, which indicated their current needs. Also, caring entrepreneurs could help buy masks, gloves, or whatever was required, and volunteers could bring doctors by car or buy food for the elderly.
This was an experience of the fastest possible project development in a critical situation as we were talking about the health and life of people. Our initiative was successfully launched in Lviv, Kyiv, and later in Bulgaria. After the Academy, IT for me now goes beyond a classical understanding of work to earn money, it's my way of creating a product that can solve real problems and influence positively the lives of those around me.
Yurii Andrienko
During the expedition to Israel, I saw the innovations with my own eyes, visited a greenhouse in the middle of the desert, where vegetables are grown in extreme conditions. I got truly inspired and realized that the future is in the agricultural sector.
After all, what is the use of mobile apps if there is no food? And the climate is constantly changing! I have read dozens of books on entrepreneurship, and my mentor timely suggested an agriculture expert who could help.
My friends and I created the technology of growing plants at -15 degrees. We even partnered with the European Aerospace Agency to test plants at the pressure and humidity of Mars. Now, this startup lives without me and may soon be sold to NASA.
Victoria Monastyrska
"Why are you wearing a T-shirt without a bra? Are you a feminist?" asked me a guy in the Academy. I was surprised with how these things may be interrelated and started exploring feminism and women's leadership. We launched our own project in the Academy.
After an inspiring lecture on fundraising, I came to my friends and said: let's do camps for girls! We saw how they invite lectors and how the program is formed at the Academy, so we knew where to start. The first camp gathered 6 girls. Roman Zinchenko, the founder of Greencubator, who taught us public speaking, was one of the first ones who believed in us and even brought his daughter to the Camp!
Mariia Nasiedkina, the founder of Dyvovyzhni NGO, came from Kyiv to Uzhhorod only to give a lecture at our Camp. Later we won a grant and organized camps with a more extended program. We want to support and motivate girls at the age of 13-16, help them believe in achieving big dreams through self-love.
Vladyslav Nimak
Our space has become revolutionary in Kalush! A platform for creativity, self-education and development has appeared in the provincial town. Here one can through a home-style art show, tell about their own educational program, present a startup or take part in a guitar master class.
At our place, young people can speak English and watch movies. It was at the Academy where the thoughts about the value of non-formal education emerged. I also learned to communicate with government and business, seek resources, communicate with the media, and not be afraid of my own crazy ideas.
All this helped to carry out the idea of the space. We are rapidly improving ourselves and aim to make "Poshta" financially independent.
Graduates' career
Our graduates work in prestigious companies and organizations. The skills and experience gained in the Academy help them master any profession, take leadership positions and develop their careers faster.
Natalia Ditchuk
I consider my path to Forbes Ukraine to be magical, but that's exactly what happens at the Academy! Once the founder of the magazine came to meet with students. During his speech, he told us about an internship opportunity. I submitted my candidacy, was selected, but then did not get the job due to a lack of vacancies. Later, on my birthday, I received a call and was invited to join the team.
During my time at Forbes, I managed to change my position and department, but each team strengthened me in its own way. Now I work as a social media editor. I am proud that I advertised one of our events by myself! I was very scared at the beginning, because I was the youngest in the team, but at the Academy I learned to turn all my fears into challenges and overcome them.
At the Academy, I gained a supportive community and full confidence in my abilities. And also the understanding that nothing is impossible!
Natalia Bukovska
Before studying at the Academy, I knew almost nothing about the creative industry and how it works. But we had lectures on branding, SMM, and communication campaigns, and I realized that I could direct my creative thinking in this direction.
Then I started thinking about my own business. I found a partner, we came up with a name, logo, identity, designed a portfolio and website. After the launch, our first order was a video about Dobrodvizh, a project of the Ukrainian Leadership Academy.
We, as a full-service video production company, have grown a lot over this time: we have permanent partnerships, we are increasing our team and product quality, and at the same time, budgets and the number of people on the site are growing. We shoot music videos for Ukrainian artists, promotional videos and documentary stories for NGOs and companies. We also make video courses, explainers, animations, and content for social media.
Yaryna Bila
I work as a communications director. Together with the team, we create and popularize innovative online educational products, as well as promote media literacy and critical thinking among Ukrainians.
Even when I was just thinking about what profession to choose, I realized that my work should influence the development of our country. The first priority is the contribution I make through my work, and only then - financial reward, etc. Education is the area where I feel most useful.
It was at the Academy that I began to engage in communications and develop professionally in this area. I also got a great experience of non-formal education. I want to create a new, innovative Ukrainian education that will inspire people to learn throughout their lives.
Dmytro Stetsko
I would never have thought that I would work in local government and change the city I love so much like this.
At the age of 14, I began to actively participate in events in my hometown. For me, the city council was something scary and very serious, where serious people go and solve important issues. Now I am that serious person.
The task of our agency is to improve the city, to look for investments for various projects and businesses. At the Academy, we talked about state-building communication. Now it strengthens me in my work.
Maxim Grant
In 2018, during the Academy's expedition to the European Union, I met one of our speakers, Yevhen Protsiuk, a Ukrainian entrepreneur and perhaps the most active diaspora in Switzerland. Two years later, he founded his own technology company and hired me to work in business development.
Since then, I have been working at Reddytec for three years. Now another graduate of the Academy has joined our team, and together we have implemented many activities, including helping to prepare business missions of the Ukrainian-Swiss Business Association in Lugano, Zurich, and Davos.
It was at the Academy that I got an incredibly large number of contacts, people with whom we continue to create and work.
Vlada Khrystenko
Once I invited Natalia Tabachina (a member of the Academy's Supervisory Board) to give a lecture to students about the IT business she runs besides SIRKA CLUB. And after graduation, I received an offer to work at the club!
Now I've been managing the club's community and location for 2 years and have 5 people in my team, some of whom are also Academy graduates.
Our club operates on a subscription basis. We gather 100 families during the summer season who relax and spend their leisure time on the Lviv Sea. We specialize in various water sports: wakesurfing, fly board, sup board, jet ski.
Khrystyna Uhrak
My IT company is in the top 3 in Ukraine with 6,000 employees. I am a senior recruiter and I help people find a project they like, build a dream team to ensure business growth.
My job is a constant movement and development that makes me happy. I first tried myself in HR at the Academy — before that I had studied journalism, in which I no longer had seen myself. My responsibility was to help recruit new students and then mentors. I liked selecting, watching people, and organizing the processes.
Later, a lector offered me the position of a recruiter in the !Fest Holding of Emotions, and later I received an offer in IT area. It was like a magic! It was the Academy that gave me this profession.
Tetiana Pliatsok
When I was 21, I applied for the position of publishing editor. I heard about the vacancy from my peer in the Academy. And I got the job! No doubt I have gained faith in myself in the Academy if I dared to apply :) I didn't have any experience back then, but I was hardworking.
At the Academy, I developed resistance to stress and flexibility, because we were taught to be ready for anything: either to sort out quickly when something goes wrong in the project or to suddenly gather in the middle of the night for jogging. Now it helps me to react quickly to the news and be placid when publishing material that 5 or 10 people had been working on.
For more than 5 years of work at Ukrayinska Pravda, I have had the opportunity to try myself in various roles. One of the most enjoyable was interviewing students and teachers of the Academy. Now I work as an editor of socio-political columns. I believe that the ability to take responsibility and high-quality communication are the basis of any work process
Vlad Babyr
After working at the Veteran Hub, I took a position as a manager of loyalty and partnership programs at the Passenger Company branch of Ukrzaliznytsia JSC. In this position, I organized first aid training for conductors and updated the distribution of first aid kits in the cars. After the start of the full-scale invasion, my main task was to build the image of the conductor as an "iron man" through media events and the media. Since the beginning of this year, due to certain challenges related to the military department and a sense of accomplishment, I have returned to the position of head of the Veteran Hub space in Kyiv, where I continue to develop the veteran community in our country. In addition to my main activity, I am a member of the volunteer medical battalion "Hospitallers", where I took an active part in the Kyiv company and continue to be involved whenever possible.
At the Academy, I acquired the necessary skills to work with government agencies, documents, and learned how to conduct complex negotiations with entrepreneurs, which is very helpful now.
Graduates say about program
At that time nobody heard about the Academy: there was no website, no graduates. That time, Roman Tychkivskyi and former Deputy Minister of Education of Israel Erez Eshel visited Kharkiv. They were so inspiring when talking about the Academy as Hogwarts in Ukraine, about the successful experience of Mechinot in Israel, that my parents and I believed them. And the Academy turned out to be a real fairy tale! We became ambassadors of Ukraine to Europe during an expedition to the Netherlands. We listened to the lecturers of the sky-high level: Yevhen Hlibovytskyi, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, Yunona Lototska. Every day they conducted fact-checking of news and together we laughed at fakes about the Academy on Russian TV channels. Here I met Nataliia Popovych, the founder of One Philosophy, and I have been working as her assistant for three years now. I gained inner confidence, I consciously switched to Ukrainian and really understood why I love Ukraine.
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The Academy helped me to reestablish contact with Ukraine. For 6 years I have been studying abroad — at the age when the personality is formed. At the Academy, I listened to the lectures of Yaroslav Hrytsak and Orysia Demska, co-organized a marathon named after the fallen soldier Igor Branovytskyi and talked to his fellowmen, talked about identity issues with peers. It reverted me to my roots. The course of financial literacy with Mykhailo Kolisnyk and meetings with entrepreneurs were of great value. One day we were given a non-trivial math problem and I was the first to solve it. It was the moment when I realized that I was really interested in finances. After that, I decided to become a financial expert, and now I work as an analyst in Horizon Capital investment company. My mission is to help Ukrainian companies conquer international markets and make them business champions.
"Never did I think you would do that," said the mentor barely keeping his tears when he saw our film about the Academy at graduation. Is was so inspiring! I have spent a year shooting short videos to capture our emotions and edited them together with my friend. So, a week before graduation, I decided that I wanted to become a director. This is still my goal. When studying at the Academy, I came up with the name of my future YouTube channel — "A Christian or a villain?". My father is a Greek Catholic priest, a Doctor of Canon Law, and I learned how to make videos. We are talking on provocative topics: is it OK to do the washing up on Sunday, is it necessary to wear a headscarf to church, is it possible to kill Putin? We have 4 thousand subscribers so far. This idea was born in the Academy — my whole current life is rooted in the Academy!
I came from occupied Crimea and I didn't know Ukrainian well. The Academy helped me to integrate. I got into the Ukrainian-speaking environment, was able to prepare for the external independent testing, and enter the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Thanks to the lectures of Mykhailo Vynnytskyi I understood that I want to study society, so I chose sociology. At the Academy, I understood that it entirely depends on me which benefits I can bring to my country. I was surrounded by very cool peers and mentors who became my family and keep inspiring me. I remember our night reflections with nostalgia — after these conversations, I began to treat myself and the world differently.
The Academy is a window of opportunities. The main thing is not to be afraid of using them wisely. I would always do my best to be active and ask a million questions during the classes. Some courses actually have changed my mindset. Once, I had a long talk with Valerii Pekar about integral dynamics and he offered me a job! That's when my life has changed forever. At the Euroindex Exhibition Company, I worked with large educational conferences and forums. After the Academy, I realized that I saw myself in educational management, so I continued working at the Lviv Business School of UCU, and later at the Lviv Educational Foundation. I am grateful to the Academy for showing direction for personal development and a community of value-based like-minded people. Here my values were formed, which are still my road map for life
"Reinterpret and do not become hostage to the situation," these words of Andrii Zelinskyi sank into my mind. I used to blame someone or something, I thought that "We are not like that but life is such". After the Academy, I clearly understood that everything was up on me. I had a narrow mind: I just wanted to become a programmer, because they earn a lot. At the Academy, I understood how diverse the world is. I became a fan of my small town in the Ternopil region, because I met people who love their cities. I want to come back to Berezhany, join the executive branch and do my best to make the city an attractive tourist destination.
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I studied to become a translator, I was excited about learning, but not about the environment. At the Academy, I found a community of the same teenagers who were striving for development. At the Academy, I was able to do my favourite thing — translate and do it in public, as we went to Auschwitz or watched a movie at 3 a.m. when the Ambassador of Belgium or the former Deputy Minister of Education of Israel visited us. At no time did I have such a practice even at university!
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One day a former security guard who painted ostrich eggs visited our Academy. He told us about exhibitions, collectors, how he makes a living doing that. It turns out that you can do such things and you will be appreciated! Thanks to these meetings, I understood that no matter who you are, there would always be a place for you in the world. There is no bureaucracy in the Academy. You feel like a human being, not a cog in the system. You don't take notes because you have to, but you listen to interesting people. The Academy stands on curiosity. You are not obliged to do anything. After this year the world seems to be bigger, but you have grown up as well and you can take it by storm.
I studied IT and already worked as a system administrator, but with time I lost my interest. I wanted to understand who I am and what I want and the Academy gave me a push. One day during some event, my mentor gave me her camera to take pictures. All followed by my first ever experience of shooting and editing a video from our trip. This is how I became a videographer of the Center. I loved it so much that my parents got me a camera. A few months after graduation I got the first commercial order from my Academy peer who worked for Valerii Pekar. It was wow! I have been doing photography for three years now and it has become my favourite hobby and the main source of income. At the Academy, I learned to communicate with different people so now I find it easy to talk to my models.
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A manager of my Center once said, "It is less important to know the formula than to be able to find it." The Academy didn't provide answers but taught to find them through conversations with mentors and discussions with peers. Every morning I woke up with people who had goals. I can still remember our morning jogging among the pines in Pushcha-Vodytsia, motivating conversations during breakfasts. I learned to listen, trust, delegate and really work in a team.
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During each expedition, I saw cool initiatives and fantastic people! I am talking about the young people, who created the "Friends" space and do something in Kostiantynivka daily, the town left by the majority of the population. I am talking about the guide from Chernihiv, who is raising money to restore the 11th-century church. I discovered Ukraine because I used to see only the western regions. I mustered project activities as I organized a three-day event for 800 teenagers — I was engaged in activities related to partners, location, advertising, external communications, logistics. It was a frightening, responsible challenge and I had to work hard. I gained the skill of critical and analytical thinking, as well as complex problem-solving.
At the Academy, I developed a desire to help people through projects and be socially useful. While studying at the Poltava Center, we organized a healthy lifestyle festival: we gave lectures and discussed nutrition, providing an opportunity for Poltava citizens to try different sports. I was so pleased when I saw how grateful the participants were! I learned to work on ideas, project formats, present them to partners and fundraising. These are the skills I am using now while organizing a "Molodvizh" forum in Lviv for 2 thousand participants. The Academy has broadened my horizons. When I'm involved in various community projects and startups in Lviv, I see the big picture now.
When you grow up in a small village, it seems that politicians and stars are unreachable super-people. The Academy erased this border as I talked to many famous people, did an internship in the Cabinet of Ministers, and recently, as a graduate, moderated the Academy's meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister. I broke the entrenched stereotype that you can only be successful with wealthy parents or with a Harvard diploma, and I have gained faith in myself. For myself, I discovered running, reflection, conscious tourism, and found my best friends. I learned how to create projects and tried myself in communications and that's how I gained the skill that now I am paid for since I work as the Head of the Communications Department at EdEra.
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At the Academy, I got interested in news. The state was no longer something abstract but appeared to me as clear mechanism. We got acquainted with the work of the Cabinet of Ministers, the National Bank, the Verkhovna Rada. I developed critical thinking, the ability to discuss and express my own opinion. At the Academy, we mastered the culture of debate, and we communicated with the lecturers on an equal footing. We always planned everything, that's how I learned time management, and I have recently become a coach on this topic for the Red Cross. I am currently studying programming and I already work as a developer in a leading IT company SoftServe. At the Academy, I understood that I want to work with people and develop in IT exactly as a project manager.
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At the Academy I was inspired by me peers! One girl was on the FLEX project and had already created a business project for students at schools before she entered the Academy. There was a scout who despite her age was already raising young followers. Another student was engaged in cybersecurity. I felt so uplifted with every new story! I mastered my public speaking skills, as we were taught to speak fluently without cliché in front of an audience. At the Academy, I learned to listen to myself and keep going no matter what.
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If formal education provides knowledge in the form of "the lector is reading and you are taking notes," the Academy pays attention to communication while solving common problems with community peers, or while talking to mentors or debating with lecturers. We practised determination and built team spirit through sport. We thought over and gained experience through reflection. The Academy gives soft skills that are required for any profession. I'm studying engineering. This is a project job that requires teamwork, which is exactly what we learned at the Academy.
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I used to think that I wanted to live abroad because medicine, education, and security are better there. But at the Academy, I met the founder of Prometheus, saw how Dozorro and Prozorro, and the Charitable Foundation Enjoying Life work — all these cool things are created by Ukrainians! I understood that Ukraine is a land of opportunities. Even when I was studying at school, I organized several visits to disabled people and launched an English Club in my home town Ladyzhyn. I understood that I can make some influence, but I felt lonely along this way. I made friends at the Academy who became my support and power. We created the "Dobrodvizh" project and involved hundreds of people in good deeds! We keep implementing important initiatives together after graduation.
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I want my village Dariivka in the Kherson region to become the most developed one in Ukraine. This is the mission that I formed in the Academy. Back in school, I fulfilled some projects in my village, but I lacked mission-level work and like-minded people. I had all that at the Academy where I have upgraded my managerial and planning skills and leant how to leave my comfort zone. I am currently studying social work. It may not sound too sexy — I would not have even considered this profession before. However, the Academy gave awareness and the ability to see deeper, rather than chasing a wow name. I am happy with my choice as I am studying practical instruments to ensure the functioning of the community. After graduation, I will definitely come back to develop my village.
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After school, I didn't know what I wanted to study. My close ones suggested foreign languages, physics and mathematics, law. But the experience of projects at the Academy let me realize that I want to study management. I mastered public speaking as I had to speak in public a lot, I learned how to manage social networks, read books thoughtfully. Also, I became more confident in my decisions, and together with assertiveness in life values, I gained a community of people, with whom we still keep in touch.
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There were a lot of my "first times" at the Academy. My first trip abroad, to the Western and Eastern Ukraine, and my first trip by plane. My first public speech in front of a large audience, my first attempt to organize projects and fundraising. I learned to work in a team, listen to others and find compromises, accept and give useful feedback. I had studied computer sciences, but when at the Academy I understood that I wanted to work with people, so I am developing as an IT manager. I wanted to try myself in state service to bring a young value approach. Through the Academy Center I found out about an opening at the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption and now I am working there in the IT Department.
As a teenager, I became interested in economics. And already at the Academy, after the lectures of famous businessmen, politicians and economists, I was convinced that it was that field that I wanted to delve deeper into. After graduating from the Academy, we cooperated with several graduate friends and went to Great Britain, where we are currently studying. I'm on the desired program "Economics and Marketing". I incredibly appreciate the community of the Academy, loyal friends, with whom the phrase "to go even to the edge of the world" really came true. I am also sincerely grateful to the Academy for its support even after graduation. This year I received a scholarship that really helps me in my academic journey and education abroad. Now I'm here to gain the necessary knowledge, practical experience and to form a team of professionals from the most necessary areas for the development of Ukraine, so that upon returning home, I can immediately make changes and form Ukraine of a new quality.
During my studies at the Academy, I rethought for myself the importance of education and social activities. Having the experience of living in a pro-Russian environment, I understood to what extent theses advanced during education are postponed and shape the personality. Somewhere near the end of the academic year, I began to think about the path of teaching and activity in the educational field. In the final weeks before graduation, we had lectures from representatives of various companies, then I first heard about Projector from a graduate who worked there. I was fascinated by this story, and already in the summer after graduation, I began to work my way into an online institute to work with a new education. My path has not yet intersected with teaching, but now I am actively involved in the organization and improvement of learning processes as a course manager.
The Ukrainian Leadership Academy became an important stage in my life path, because it expanded the possibilities of my personal growth and deepening the understanding of my own life mission. In 10 months, I received not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical tools for developing a personal leadership style based on modern values. I became and am part of a community that I can sincerely call a family.