Meet NLU's 2023 Commencement Student Speaker
Anna-Mariya Skakodub, a soon-to-be Business Management graduate, is National Louis University’s 2023 Commencement Ceremony student speaker. She will give a speech at the 2023 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, June 24. Get to know more about her international relations work below:
Anna-Mariya came from a Ukrainian family, and she was raised with a strong sense of leadership and call to support those in need. She was fortunate to have an educational experience across several different countries, which she says helps her better serve others through these global perspectives. Anna-Mariya holds a Bachelor’s degree from Poland in the field of International Relations and Diplomacy. There, she was honored to become president of the scientific organization of international studies. After this, she received a scholarship to study Political Science in the United Kingdom at the University of Hull. In 2016, she applied for an internship program in Kyiv, Ukraine at CFC Consulting, where she assisted the Vice President on introducing Uber for the first time to this country.
She studied for her Master’s program in Ukraine and was quite active in the youth sector. During this time, she established her own non-profit, the Ukrainian Academy of Diplomacy, which organizes internships for Ukrainian students in Austria, Belgium, and Hungary. In these countries, students participating could undertake internships with the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Commission, or the Hungarian Parliament. Due to this work, Anna-Mariya was highlighted in Ukrainian media platforms and she was able to establish relationships within the Ukrainian government. Together, they implemented an education program for high school students in the Ukrainian Parliament and Ministry of Youth and Sport.
“Working closely with pupils, students, and young leaders brought up new challenges for me and my community in general,” Anna-Mariya commented. “I encountered human right violations among young people in schools and universities on the occupied territories of Ukraine by Russian Federation. Unfair treatment, discrimination, and abuse from professors on the occupied areas created unequal opportunities for Ukrainian students. This triggered me to become a human rights activist and create my own campaign on human rights education.”
For her determination and persistence, Anna-Mariya was invited by the United Nations to serve as a delegate of Ukraine to the International Human Rights Summit at the UN in New York in 2019 and 2020. Here, she worked as an assistant to the Honorary Consul of Hungary in Ukraine and strengthening relationships between these two countries.
To say her drive to help others is important to her would be an understatement. International relations and service are her passion projects.
When Anna-Mariya came to Chicago to study for her Business Management degree at National Louis University, she continued to participate in International Relations. After the start of the war between Ukraine and Russia, she felt a call to action to work as a paralegal at Chicago Law Group and practiced immigration law to assist Ukrainians who lost their homes in Ukraine and find them temporary shelter in the United States. She went to the streets to protest the war and called for help from the local government. In February of last year, she was featured on ABC news for these efforts.
“NLU was extremely supportive when the war started,” she said. “On the first day of the war I received an email from Maria Lammy, an International Officer at NLU, with the words of support and help, which I am extremely grateful for. Later, with the help of NLU staff, we organized a Ukrainian event at NLU at which I was delighted to speak in front of students, professors, and NLU staff.”
By studying in the Business Management Program at NLU, Anna-Mariya was provided with “a rich basket of knowledge” as she phrases it. With this knowledge and confidence, she plans to launch her own business, which will aim to be service-oriented.
