News

During the school year 2018-2019 two American students got a chance to experience life in Lithuania. Aya Obeid from Pittsburgh, PA attended Vilnius Jezuit gymnasium and James Heatley from Troy, NY attended Vilnius Salomeja Neris gymnasium.

After spending 10 months in Lithuania, Aya and James share some of their experiences:

Aya Obeid:

...I wanted to learn about how occupation can affect a nation and about the harsh history of Lithuania’s occupied years, but also about how a nation can rebuild itself post-occupation... Through my questions and visits to many museums and displays, I have been able to piece together the great history of Lithuania and am able to visualize to a pretty good extent what life was like under occupation.

...This exchange year has taught me many valuable life lessons that will help me for the rest of my life, not just until my plane ride home.

...Many complained that they felt that Lithuanians could be quite cold. My experience was the opposite, however, and I learned that every experience really does rely so heavily upon your attitude and mindset. I went in with the attitude that I would find good friends and integrate into the community easily, and that was what happened. I think that one really does receive the energy they put out into the world, and I put out energy that I enjoy meeting new people and so I was constantly exposed to situations where I could make meaningful connections with people. Although the short days were challenging, the winter months did hold their own magic as well. I enjoyed the Christmas market, snow-covered paths and roofs, and abundance of blankets in coffee shops. At the end of February/ Early March, my appreciation for Lithuania skyrocketed quite suddenly. It was at this time that I experienced firsthand how Lithuanians preserve their folk traditions and I felt so lucky to visit a place that has such ancient practices that are still carried out today.

As a Muslim, I did notice some xenophobia and nationalism in Lithuania which is evident in how people are voting. However, I was surrounded by inclusive people who wanted to show others the beauty of their culture

...It was nice to see and participate in Lithuanian traditions that are continued to today. (It) helped me realize how lucky I was to be in a country that has such a strong, ancient, and interesting culture.

...Many people in the U.S. know so little about Lithuania, and Lithuanians know this. Almost every single time I told anyone here that I was spending a year here, the first question I got is: Why would I come to Lithuania? Sadly, its beauty and magic are a wellhidden secret. The problem is not misunderstandings that Americans have of Lithuanians, but a complete lack of awareness that this wonderful country even exists. Through my posts and long calls and texts to all my friends about what a wonderful time I am having, I have already convinced several people that they need to visit this country and helped them realize that they should be aware of Lithuania’s treasures. Lithuanians have much to teach the rest of the world about resilience and standing up for what they believe in no matter how many times they are silenced and shut down. This is an important lesson for the political climate today, as it seems that only a few dominant voices get their way and an important lesson for any individual who feels at times hopeless. Lithuania as a nation teaches an important lesson on resilience that everyone should get the honor of learning.

James Heatley:

...My primary goals before I arrived in Lithuania were to create strong relationships with people and my host family... I find that the relationships that I have created thus far can cross the borders of our countries and will continue after the program. A secondary goal I had was to change as a person. In America, I attended a rural school where I interacted with and went to school with same people for 12 years. This experience has provided an opportunity to find out who I am, without my peers having preconceived notions about me from our previous time together.

...I found that Lithuanian culture is very patriotic, in a different way than Americans. Lithuanians truly care about their country, they will tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly, and yet they still love it. Lithuanians are deeply attuned to that which makes them Lithuanians...

This experience has led me to question how I feel about my own country. I started to question the “American way of life”. I enjoyed being in a place where the focus of the culture was not on consumerism... this experience has been revealing and life affirming, whether it be differentiating what I personally want from life or how I interact with people on an everyday basis.

...I really connected with people in Lithuania, a nd now I find that I am more in tune with who I am as an individual than I have ever been in my entire life. I now know what I stand for, what I want to do in the future, and what my strengths and weaknesses are. This experience has really put my own life into perspective, to see how Lithuanian culture operates compared with my own, puts my own beliefs and ideologies into perspective. For me the most important thing is people, and the connections between them. The connections I developed here can’t be broken by distances and will continue after the program.

...This experience has helped me see what truly matters in my life; I have learned so much about myself and developed strong connections with many Lithuanians in Vilnius. The way that I see the world now is quite different from the start of the program. This program as really helped me see the world on a global scale rather than through the eye of an American.