2024 Reflections

Every year, Global Synergy Group brings teens from different regions of Ukraine to Minnesota to take part in the YouLEAD program.YouLEAD is an international program of development and involvement of youth leadership. The goal is to inspire the youths selected to be intercultural ambassadors of positive change in their respective countries.

YouLEAD was first launched in 2012 to promote an understanding of the problems faced by young people in different places, and how their participation in development, global thinking, and self-government could be a force for good in their communities.

WithYouLead 2023 completed, we wanted to provide some reflections from participants to help truly communicate the value of this program. Before we do, we would like to recognize that the incredible value this program delivers would not be possible without the donors and volunteers who helped make this year’s program happen. We are 100% volunteer driven, and every single dollar donated is used to provide resources and opportunities for YouLead participants. So from the very bottom of our hearts, thank you to our donors, community partners, and host families. 

For further information on YouLead, Global Synergy Group, and the important work that we do, follow us on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/GSGMinnesota

And now, some reflections from our amazing YouLead 2023 cohort. 

Ehor Karanchuk

My name is Ehor, and I'm from Boryspil. I am one of the participants in YouLead 2023. Before I was accepted to go to the USA, I had no idea how impactful this journey would be for me. 

First of all, I'd like to tell you about my life before I participated in YouLead. I was studying at school and was always interested in changing something in society. For that, I owned my own media about Eurovision, whose main goal was to promote and share European values in Ukraine. But there was a problem: I had no idea how to use my abilities and resources correctly. I had so many ideas and initiatives but was not confident enough to fulfill them in real life. It was a specific state of mind where you don't know what to do next while having a number of thoughts and a lot of motivation. I was always extroverted and communicative. It was easy for me to get in touch with different people and collaborate with them but the society I lived in was not the one I needed.

Then, in February 2023, I applied to this program on my teacher's recommendation.I thought there was no chance of getting a place because I underrated my abilities and thought that this program would be as corrupt as the majority of things in Ukraine. But, till the very end, I kept hope that I would be selected. Later, I was officially announced as one of those who would go to the USA. I can't explain how happy I was at that time, although I also understood that if I had been chosen, I couldn't let down the people who selected me.

Our journey started in August. Everything was changing so fast, and we had to keep up with everything, from adapting to a new family for a month to dealing with the time difference between Ukraine and the US. In addition, a huge number of events, meetings, people, and new valuable ideas that I had to take seriously all led to the mental growth I experienced during the program. I could tell you everything, but this text would have been much longer, so I want to save you some time. The main thing I'd like to underline about the program is acceptance. This is something that we don't have in Ukraine to the extent that you have there. I understand that it's something I'll have to work on in my country to make my society more friendly and loyal.

As soon as I gained a lot of experience in the USA, the development of my media, which I owned, started increasing significantly. I got a chance to speak with journalists and media owners during the program, and they gave me a lot of advice that still helps me now. That shows that the program is really for everybody and doesn't depend on what you like doing or what you are inspired by. Everyone could find a person with common interests and even a professional within those.

Right now, our media is one of the largest in Ukraine within this topic, although we have plenty of competitors. I'm so thankful to this program for providing me with experience, connections, motivation, and hope. YouLead has really changed a lot in my mind and, in addition, left a lot of memories that I'll never forget.

Bykova Diana

That was unforgettable! Those five weeks motivated me greatly, changed my perspective, and made me more confident. Now I have different ideas on how to improve my community. During the year after the program, I continued improving skills I think I will need in my life. I finally decided which job is the best for me and how I can help society. This summer, I would like to become a volunteer and help others.

During the program, we visited many different governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, events, and so on. Each day broadened my horizons. We met different people and made new connections. Some people changed me a lot, making me think about things in a different way. I made a decision about the kind of person I want to be, and that's really important to me.

And I had the best host family ever. They were just like my real family. We taught each other and had fun together.

Maksym
For me, this trip was the most unique experience I could get at my age. It gave me a chance to see how the world looks across the ocean and the opportunity to meet new people, not only from the United States but also from Ukraine. It was difficult to become bored, though sometimes we felt exhausted. Before the trip, I was actually afraid of what would happen, but in the end, it became clear that this journey was much more than just an educational program or tourist trip. To others, I will say this: Don't be afraid to discover something new and exciting, and when you do, do not limit yourself to only this discovery—strive for something bigger and even more exciting.

Daryna Anufrieva

When I was reading the program advertisement for the first time, I thought that YouLead would give me a lot of knowledge and wonderful experience. While preparing for the program itself during our meetings with previous year's participants I realized that we were also being prepared to present ourselves and our ideas, attract and receive various opportunities, communicate with different people efficiently, and solve conflicts. All of these skills are extremely useful for me now, as they have enhanced my ability to work efficiently both on my own and as a team member. After spending 5 weeks in the US with my YouLead2023 team, saturated with activities, it was really hard to return to my regular environment and daily routine. I felt that something was off, like I was different somehow. It took me some time and reflection with my teammates that it was my mindset that changed, so now I'm continuing to work to keep this mindset for my future projects.

Evelina Yandola

Hi! I'm Evelina, I'm 16 years old, and I'm a participant in YouLEAD 2022. After the program, my life changed significantly. Besides gaining motivation for self-development, I also developed a desire to explore and understand myself even more. Over the past year, I have discovered many new things about myself. For example, I learned that I can climb a mountain and enjoy the view of the Ukrainian Carpathians. I can attentively listen to a five-hour lecture on state-building and then go for an evening run to unwind. I found out that I can organize an event with my team in just 24 hours. I discovered that I can play the role of the Little Prince or sing a Christmas carol in front of strangers. I can design tote bags and travel around half of Ukraine to explore it. And much more.

The YouLEAD program gave me a strong impetus to search for and realize myself, for which I am very grateful!

Artem Cherednyk

The main word of this journey is “Experience”. As soon as you’ve arrived in America you begin to discover new ways of non-standard thinking. On each workshop you  speak with a lot of different leaders, who give you opportunities to get these ways of thinking, passing on their experience to you. It could be different types of experience, like: political, business, non-commercial, volunteer or otherwise. You get a huge amount of experience in communication with interesting people, who have achieved a lot in their lives, and they are happy to show you how to succeed in your business. One speaker gave us the definition of leadership: “Leadership it’s not about me, it’s not about now”. It is these words that best show what leaders should strive for, namely a better future for the next generations. And now my main goal is to make the future better than it is now.

Sofiia Pisna

This is too cool an experience!!! I am very glad that once I was not afraid and submitted my candidacy. After all, this significantly improves your leadership, communication and collaboration skills. If I had another chance to go, I would definitely not refuse and would drop all my affairs and go! The program had a great impact on me! I changed my values, understood what I want to do in the future. I discovered a new me, a new Sofia Pisna, who is ready to work and reach new heights! I want to develop the youth not only of my country, but also of the whole world!

Ksyusha Lohvinenko

Hey! Long time no see :) Hope you remember me, I am Ksyusha from Kharkiv, YouLEAD 2022 participant.

Since our last glimpse after the YouLEAD a lot has changed in my life honestly: mainly I’m 18 now, living and studying psychology in Kyiv National University of Taras Shevchenko. Even though I am mostly dedicating myself a lot to studying and working, I try balancing a really intense student life with volunteering and developing my leadership skills further. Through lots of experience after the program I have explored many sides of my personality starting from being more confident and passionate about what I do daily, having more power for communication and creating new meaningful bounds to not barely finishing with being a more active member of society as I have more opportunities in the capital. 

I have been committing to a lot of activities for not only supporting our military forces by making nets, but also supporting children, people and animals on some events where I was providing both physical and mental support in order not to let the terrorist state break our spirit. Moreover, leadership for me has become like an everyday habit as I take on different kinds of responsibilities, one of which has happened to be another round of participation in this amazing program, this time as a chaperone! Our team of inspired, fired and skilled participants of previous years is currently working on recruiting motivated youth for another meaningful year of improving Ukrainian society all over the country. 

Wishing you all the best, thank y`all for supporting Ukraine and YouLEAD, stay tuned :)