LCC Alumni Story: Kamilė Labanauskytė, Class of 2024, major in Contemporary Communication 

Life After LCC is a monthly interview and story series featuring alumni of LCC International University. The series is part of 35 Years – 35 Stories, celebrating the university’s 35th anniversary.  

Tell us about your current role or project. Where are you now?  

I am currently working as a Communications Project Coordinator at the Association Klaipeda Region. I initially joined the organization as an intern in a communications specialist role, and after graduation, I was offered a full-time position. I am truly grateful for this opportunity, as it has been an excellent environment for both personal and professional growth. This role has allowed me to travel, engage with like-minded people and partners, and work on projects that I am genuinely passionate about. It has also opened doors to new experiences and opportunities, giving me a broader perspective on what is possible in the professional world after graduation It has even helped me build many valuable LinkedIn connections, too  

What experiences at LCC brought you to this current point? 

I think exploring career opportunities, discovering myself through different liberal arts classes, and being involved in the Leadership Development Program truly had a major impact on my current career path. Since I never had a clearly defined career plan that I was going to follow, I explored different ideas of what my future in the professional world could look like. 

Applying for an internship at my current workplace was a challenge for me, as I had to learn new skills that I had never practiced before and take brave steps into the unknown, trusting myself and the process ahead. 

How did LCC influence your choice of profession or career direction? When did you realize what you wanted to do professionally? 

After graduation, despite feeling confused about what to do next, I had one clear vision — to put my degree to work. I was looking for a position that I could not clearly define, but I knew it had to be related to communications. 

It wasn’t easy, as the job market can feel intimidating. However, I was lucky to receive support from our Career Development Center Director, Jelena, and with her help, I secured an internship at the association. 

When it comes to realizing what I want to do professionally, even now I am still not completely sure — and honestly, I don’t think there will ever be a day when I can confidently say, “I am exactly who I want to be and where I want to be.” For me, life is about taking on new opportunities and challenges and not settling in one place for too long. Once you learn everything you can from one place, it is time to move on to the next challenge. 

How did LCC help you grow as a leader? Tell us about your leadership experience.  

Before coming to LCC, I already had some leadership experience in the local Lithuanian Student Union — I had been involved there for about five years. However, the leadership experience at LCC was completely different from anything I had known before. 

Leadership experience at LCC exposes you to a wide range of cultures, religions, worldviews, and beliefs. It requires you to be open-minded, vulnerable, and courageous, while also learning to be patient and accepting of others. Working in international teams has been incredibly impactful for me, and inspiring others to take on leadership roles has become my main motivation to continue growing as a leader. 

From being an insecure and shy sophomore to receiving the 2024 Leadership Excellence Award at graduation, my three-year experience as a First Year Seminar leader helped me grow both as an individual and as a leader in countless ways.  

How did LCC help you build relationships and networks that still matter to you today? 

The people that I have met during my time at LCC have become and still continue to be some of my favorite people in the entire world, not to even mention that they are my best friends and the people that I love and adore deeply and dearly. LCC has gifted me the opportunity to meet and love wonderful souls that I get to call my friends from all over the world. The community of LCC is truly one of a kind, and to this day, whenever I get a chance to share about it and my experiences with people from all over the world, I still get emotional. 

The feeling of belonging and being at home that LCC gives you is something that never really leaves you – it makes an imprint on your heart and your personality and carries on with you for the rest of your life. I think every single person that has been a part of the LCC community in any way should proudly carry the title of an LCC family member.
 

What are your favorite memories about LCC? (classes, professors, student peers, anything you can think of) 

All of my favorite memories from LCC include the people I have met there. Professors, classmates, friends, staff members, FYS instructors, and leadership mentors – all of them have had a huge impact on who I am today. 

From pizza and movie parties at a professor’s home to studying for exams and staying up all night with your best friends, all of those memories are an infinitely valuable part of me. If I could relive it all once again, I would do it all without a second thought. 

Sometimes, when a wave of nostalgia hits me, I go back down memory lane and reminisce about those carefree days when all that mattered was surviving from Monday to Friday, being first in the Common Grounds line, and making all your assignment submissions on Moodle by 23:59.
 

What advice would you give to future LCC students? 

Take everything you can from this short experience because it will all go by in the blink of an eye. Be open-minded, be brave, and take on every opportunity that comes your way, because one thing that I have learned is that the most unexpected roads lead you to the most beautiful destinations. 

You might not think of it that way right now, but your student years are truly the most special, impactful, and best years of your life, so make sure to enjoy them while they last.