Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) students with excellent academic records who are taking part in volunteering or charity activities were awarded incentive scholarships established by Kazickas Family Foundation. The scholarships were awarded by the representatives of the KFF – John Algirdas Kazickas, the member of the KFF Board, son of the philanthropist Dr Joseph P. Kazickas, the founder of the Foundation, Vilnius Office Executive Director Agnė Vertelkaitė and Vilnius Office Program Coordinator Ieva Sriebaliūtė – who visited KTU earlier this month. Kazickas Family Foundation donated 7,400 EUR for KTU students for scholarships in the academic year 2018/2019.
“I would like to thank you all. You are a great example showing that during the study years one can not only strive for knowledge but also to devote their precious time to philanthropy, volunteering and helping those who need your help, attention and care most. This is the aim of our Foundation”, said John Algirdas Kazickas addressing the awardees.
During the meeting with the representatives of the Foundations, the students were sharing their thoughts about the importance and benefits of volunteering activities, they were talking about their studies and future plans. Mr Kazickas was genuinely excited to meet active and socially responsible students who will be successfully creating the future of Lithuania.
The winners of the Kazickas Family Foundation scholarship in this year are:
Dovydas Blaževičius, the 1st year Chemical Engineering master’s student at the Faculty of Chemical Technology. Dovydas is actively taking part in research activities, is delivering papers in local and international scientific conferences, has published several articles in scientific journals. Dovydas is an active part of a research group at the Faculty. For two years KTU master’s student has been giving untraditional chemistry lessons for schoolchildren and conducting laboratory classes for university students. He is also an organiser of interactive activities during science festivals Spaceship Earth and Researchers’ Night.
Inga Stadalninkaitė, who has just graduated from masters in Translation and Localisation of Technical Texts at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities. For several years, Inga has been volunteering in charity activities of the Order of Malta in Lithuania, is a member of “Sustainable Gastro” community, is contributing to the organising of various events. Inga can efficiently manage both studies and extracurricular activities – she is a copywriter and editor in several volunteering organisations. Inga is a member of KTU Students’ Scientific Society, is taking part in several programmes for young entrepreneurs.
Lukas Gaidžiūnas, the 4th year bachelor student in Informatics. Lukas is the elder of the academic group, a member of the dormitory council and is preparing to take over the position of the chairman of the dormitory. For a year Lukas has been volunteering in the Youth Line, the organisation which is providing emotional support for young people.
“I study hard and after the lectures I take part in various community activities such as volunteering at KTU events, contributing to organising various functions and to creating a cosy atmosphere for the volunteers and for the guests”, says Lukas.
Klaudija Urbaitytė, the 1st year master’s student of Marketing Management at the School of Economics and Business. Klaudija is taking part in scientific conferences and is actively publishing articles in scientific journals. She is volunteering during charity campaigns of “Maisto bankas” (Eng. food bank), at the social house of Vilijampolė and at various sports events.
Aidas Ivanauskas, the 4th year student of Automation and Control Systems at the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. For more than 6 years, Aidas has been volunteering in the Children and Youth Centre of Kaunas Saint Vincent de Paul parish, a community, which unites people from various levels of society. The aim of the Centre is to raise young people on the basis of Christian values, to integrate them into the social environment by organising camps, training courses, trips and social campaigns. The Centre creates a safe space for youngsters to discover their talents by assigning various responsibilities. Aidas was also a volunteer during the Papal Visit to Lithuania last year.
Simona Kiškytė, the 2nd year bachelor’s student of Chemical Technology and Engineering at the Faculty of Chemical Technology. For almost a year, Simona has been volunteering at the Lithuanian Youth Society “Žingsnis” (Eng. step). “Žingsnis” is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation, which main aim is the prevention of alcohol, tobacco and other psychotropic and other addictive substances among young people. Simona is also training at the organic synthesis lab and is participating in various international study projects and in Erasmus+ exchange programme.
“I believe that the creation of a conscious, sober community is the first step into a similar society, and I am proud to be able to contribute to this. The winning of the Kazickas Family Foundation scholarship is a great encouragement for me to keep going in creating better and more beautiful Lithuania!”, says Simona.
Dr Joseph P. Kazickas was awarded the KTU Honorary Doctor title in 1998. Kazickas Family Foundation established in the same year awarded numerous students with grants for education.
