You are a student in the Politics of Global Challenges programme at IIRPS VU; how did you choose to study at the Institute? What are your impressions of studying here?

When I was at school, I didn’t even think about political science, but later on, when I got involved in youth politics, I found it more and more interesting, and I got to know a lot of students from IIRPS VU who, by sharing their impressions of studying at IIRPS, encouraged me to change all my exam choices and choose IIRPS as my study programme. I am a student in the first class of the Politics of Global Challenges programme, so I feel that everything is still very fresh and new, but I have not regretted my study choices for one minute. My studies and the activities I do are intertwined, so I feel that I will bring knowledge from my studies, which I will use in my career, and I will bring to my studies the experiences that I have learnt there.

Last week, you were elected as the Chairperson of the Vilnius Youth Organisations’ Union Round Table (VJOSAS); how did you start your journey in this organisation? What are your goals as the Chairperson?

I started my journey in the Vilnius Union of Youth Organisations in the twelfth grade because when I was in another youth NGO, I worked with youth organisations from almost all regions of Lithuania, but never with the youth of my hometown, Vilnius. When I joined VJOSAS, I didn’t plan to spend a lot of time here. I thought it would just be a fun activity until the beginning of my studies, but things have turned around – I became a board member, and this weekend, I took over the leadership role. My goal for VJOSAS is to continue the work that has already been started. The organisation has grown a lot over the last few years and has become an important pillar for the implementation of youth organisations or youth ideas. My goal is to bring even more internationality and to give youth organisations and youth groups all the tools they need to make their ideas a reality because this is what makes Vilnius and Lithuania the kind of place where young people are happiest.

You are the project manager of European Youth Event Vilnius, one of the biggest youth events in Lithuania; how did this project reach Vilnius? How is the organising process going and what can we expect in May?

This project was born very simply – together with friends, we visited Strasbourg, where the European Youth Event was held. While we were there, we were discussing, or rather, without really planning anything, dreaming about what it would be like if it happened in Vilnius. In the end, we decided just to give it a try – without much hope, we submitted a project that seemed like something we young people would like to visit ourselves. And in October, we received news from the European Parliament that that dream, thought up somewhere in Strasbourg, had become reality.

We are now in the midst of a very intensive process, and we are preparing a very varied programme that will allow us to touch on almost all the topics of interest to young people. From 3 to 4 May, you will see many activities, have the opportunity to meet decision-makers and learn more about the various institutions and NGOs at the Opportunities Fair. In addition, on the evening of 3 May, we will head to Lukiškės Prison to celebrate our youth with various performances and music. I am extremely proud of the whole EYE VILNIUS team because such an event is the youth event of the decade, and we are honoured to host it in Vilnius.

You are very active in youth politics, and you are also a student; how do you manage to keep up with everything? Do you have any activities that help you find time for yourself?

I would say time management and having a good team are the things that help me keep up. Of course, I often wish I had more time for myself, but when I reflect, I realise that I would not want to give up any of my activities because they are a way for me to fulfil myself. However, I do like to dance as a way of taking time for myself and getting away from work. It has been a big part of my life, and a few years ago, I was also a part of a professional house dance team called Jacksterz, but I had to step back. However, I’m glad that I still find time to dance and let go of pent-up stuff through art.

What would you like to wish the IIRPS VU community?

I would like to wish the IIRPS VU community to try. I have learned from my own experience that even things that seem impossible are often worth trying. If you don’t succeed, you will have tried, and you might accidentally discover something new that you wouldn’t have known without it.