Anastasiia Synhaivska graduated with a BA in Contemporary Communication in 2019. She became a video producer at an e-commerce marketing agency Sugatan.io and has continued to study. Now, she is a few weeks away from completing her MBA in Marketing and Integrated Communication at Vilnius University. Anastasiia looks back dearly at her LCC time, during which she found life-long connections, a love for learning, and an occupation she truly loves.

“It’s only over the years since finishing at LCC that I realized the true value there. There is a sense of community that will never, ever leave you,” says Anastasiia. She initially picked the university because of her desire to study in English.

During her studies, Anastasiia got involved in a student newspaper, cultural events, and the Lean In Club focused on empowerment for women. She also co-founded a student club called The Habits Club, to promote sustainability and eco-lifestyle on campus. With the support of faculty members, Steve and Chris van Zanen, she organized the first big event that featured a guest speaker from Romania. Anastasiia viewed it as a milestone in building a community of like-minded people. "It was the right time and place to gather the community of students that were environmentally conscious and willing to do something, but were lacking either motivation or knowledge on what to do about it, with the exception of using metal straws and ego bags,” says Anastasiia. After graduation, the experience and network she got as an eco-club leader helped Anastasiia find an internship with a US-based startup that does sustainable event management. The student club at LCC continues to grow, and Anastasiia plans to stay involved with them again, even though not physically being at LCC.

Besides community involvement, Anastasiia had great academic success. She presented her BA Thesis at the International Conference: Visuality 2019: Creative Communication in the Emerging Constellations. Anastasiia’s thesis topic was about her passion, sustainability. Her advisor on the project, Dr. Andrew Jones, had a similar paper, so they combined the works to present together. At the conference, Anastasiia also gladly found an opportunity to connect with the professors from her future university where she would work towards her master’s degree.

Smiling, Anastasiia recalls representing Ukraine at Cultural Days at LCC. She says: “I take pride in the movie that we made about Ukrainian wedding stereotypes. That was the start of my film and producing career. I did not include it in my portfolio, but that's where it really started.” Anastasiia’s career in video production began in the summer of 2020, but soon moved job positions from video editor to producer at Sugatan.io.

Anastasiia feels happy and content as a part of a remote but encouraging international team. As she gets the creative freedom to produce video ads from scratch (from the copy to the shot list) the ability to learn fast grows in importance. “The audience quickly gets used to the same techniques and writing structures. So, it’s about constant research, and it is truly challenging,” shares Anastasiia. She credits LCC for her “learning to learn” as well as her ability to communicate in a team with emotional intelligence. These skills she developed at LCC help her with developing ideas that invite people to click and watch her videos.

Looking back at her journey, Anastasiia shares this advice with the current students: “The greatest thing is to reach out to people, just make those connections not only with students but with the faculty. You can make great friendships with your professors. They can be your mentors and they can guide you in your future careers.” She adds that having professors who genuinely care and give their time and attention to students was transformational for her sense of purpose in society.

In a few years, Anastasiia envisions herself getting an additional degree, again crediting the desire to her experience at LCC. “One of the biggest things that happened to me at LCC is that I got to experience the Christian community. That Christian community has transformed my heart and I am considering going to seminary later or getting a theology degree.”