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Conducted for the first time, an immersive internship program for the youth of the Lithuanian diaspora “We Connect Lithuania” offers six weeks of professional experience in Lithuanian-based companies. This summer, twenty Lithuanians from Australia, US and Canada ventured to get to know Modern Lithuania. Darius Shubert, a neurology student, and Migle Slavikaite, a business administration student, both from the United States of America, claimed that they found Lithuania completely different than they pictured it before.

There is this idée fixe to lure young and promising emigrants back to Lithuania, and it looks like it’s becoming a reality. As Kamile Naraite, the manager of “We Connect Lithuania”, says the purpose is to create an exceptional educational trip to Lithuania and make it available to every young Lithuanian around the world. “We would love for every Lithuanian to have an opportunity to experience an authentic modern Lithuania, and to get some professional experience here. In order for Lithuania to have its ambassadors around the world, we need to provide them with an opportunity to see the innovative country. It’s not only about work, the program offered opportunity to take part in the Lithuania's Centennial events, Song festival, National Scout camp, Kursiu marios Regatta and many more. The participants have time to travel around Lithuania, meet with members and leaders of civil society and business world, get to explore their identity and their family roots,” Kamile says. The program is being organized by Global Lithuanian Leaders, sponsored by the Kazickas Family foundation, and the Lithuanian Foundation.

Darius Shurbert was born in Boston, MA, USA. He describes the program as the one that gives opportunity to look into the inside of the country, not at its outside. “If you are a tourist, you see Gediminas Castle. When the opportunity is given for you to grow, then in the future, everything is possible. And that is most important, ” – twenty year old continued enthusiastically. Darius is a neurology student in California. He is an intern in the Ministry of Health of Lithuania. He chose a difficult profession. There are no medical doctors in his family. His dad is a computer specialist, while his mom works in the insurance industry. Darius does not think it is so difficult since neurology is one of the most interesting medical fields to him. “I have always dreamed of becoming a surgeon, nobody forced me, I chose it.” The internship allows him to get to know country’s medical system. “Lithuania is smaller country than America so it is easier to understand its medical system.” He would love to work here, he added, but he needs to graduate from university. He has a first cousin who he calls sister, and who relocated from Kaunas to the capital city after getting married last year, He was curious to see how the married couple settled now, since Darius’s family was at her wedding and spent couple weeks in Lithuania last year. First time, Darius came to Lithuania when he was six and the trip left a big impression on him. With his family, he travelled all across Lithuania. His parents worked hard to maintain Lithuanian heritage in him. Since he was a little boy, he attended and in 12th grade graduated from Boston Lithuanian Saturday school. He has always been active member of the Lithuanian community, danced in a Lithuanian folk dance group, and spent many summers in Neringa Lithuanian camp. Since the first time he came to Lithuania, Darius sees a lot of changes. Things are getting better. “Vilnius infrastructure has grown, it has more buildings, there is foreign investment and branches of many international companies. There are jobs here, there is talent here.” In his opinion, every Lithuanian living abroad, should come back and see country’s development. “While I am still a student, I want to learn a lot, gain experience, and then in five- ten years I can come back and give back.”

Migle Slavikaite was born in Kaunas and left Lithuania in 2005 when she was eleven. She did not want to leave in the beginning but saw her determined parents and got used to the thought. It was not difficult to adapt. Chicago Lithuanian community is huge. She started speaking English without accent soon after she arrived since she had been learning English since second grade. Both her parents are teachers in the Chicago Lithuanian school, one teaches Arts the other one P.E. It was her mom who found out about the program and encouraged Migle to apply. Straight from Chicago, Migle rushed to Kaunas to see her grandmother. The family would return to Lithuania just because of her. It is difficult to live apart. Her parents have a plan to return. If they came back, Migle would, too. In Vilnius, Migle interns in CGTrader – electronic commerce firm. She compares job conditions here and in Chicago. She works and studies. She thinks that life in Lithuania is focused not only around work unlike in America. Lithuanians have a very rich free time, and peopla are less stressed. “It all has changed since we left. My parents could not even picture Lithuania I see today. It is interesting to see country’s direction, to listen to different views, to form your own opinion.” Being an active member of Lithuanian community, she admitted that there is a lack of new information about the real situation in the country. We have a lot of exctracurricular activities, like scouts or basketball clubs. Teachers instill traditions, folk dance, songs, history. We have a big heritage, and maintain it, but there are not enough people able to tell us about modern Lithuania. There is no other way to do it, but come and see it by yourself, “ Migle makes a conclusion.

Original in Lithuanian written by Evelina Joteikaite

https://www.lzinios.lt/lzinios/Zmones/uzsienio-lietuviu-neapleidzia-viltis-sugrizti/269802

Translation by KFF