I am grateful for all the opportunities you have given me. Now that I am a student studying abroad I can see clearly how Klaipėda Lyceum and the IB programme have had a crucial part in helping me mature in the academic field. Sometimes I like to listen to the independence signer Nijolė Oželytė and her various speeches, and I find that her words on freedom and an independent way of life have really stuck with me.
As we make our way into the wide world outside of school and we finally experience this freedom we have dreamt so long about, feeling lost is inevitable. What do I do with all my freedom? What do I channel it into? The variety of choices makes our heads spin and frightens us. Even the most rudimentary of skills become meaningful: cooking, paying your bills, registering for various courses – every single move requires attention.
Despite all of this, freedom is the opportunity to create your own path in life, letting it take you to where you want to go.
Education is one of the most meaningful things in my life – it is the source of my value as a person and a source of my faith. It is my pride and meaning, and so I feel immense gratitude for the opportunities You have provided me with as you let me grow as an academic, you helped me start my journey towards an independent life and gave me confidence where I would otherwise feel lost.
The last months of my life have been full of trials, which I had to overcome in order to become financially independent. I will not lie – it was not easy. It seems that a lot of my plans have been wasted on nothing. It is also evident that I didn’t know a lot of things, but that I had also learned a great deal. I feel proud of myself, being able to say that I can pay my own bills – this is a very meaningful achievement for me. As everything is falling into its place right now, I am feeling very optimistic about my future. I dream a lot. I still have so much to do, so many happy moments are yet to be had. I am growing at a great speed. Of course, inevitably, I think a lot about Lithuania – my friends, various communities, landscapes and culture. Everything was so familiar, so inviting. In spite of this, as I currently reside in the Netherlands and study in the Maastricht University I feel at home here. I believe that I will return to Lithuania a better person.
With immense gratitude,
Augustas Jasiūnas
