Anastasiia Plokha (front row, third from left) shares her J-1 experience with university students.
Work & Travel participant Anastasiia Plokha from Ukraine was one of the fourteen distinguished young people selected as a CHI Cultural Ambassador Award (CAA) winner in 2017, and she took advantage of the opportunity to the fullest. After her Work & Travel program and the four days in Washington, DC., Anastasiia knew she wanted to find a job connecting culture and international relations. She is now working at the Ministry of Culture back in her native Ukraine, as well as finding time to work with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Anastasiia also recently visited the Ukrainian Parliament where she contributed to discussions about addressing the problem of preserving her homeland’s cultural heritage. She also attends conferences such as the Foreign Policy Council and the Ukrainian Prism where Anastasiia shares, “We discussed the problem of Ukraine’s nearest plan about foreign policy, main directions and perspectives. The main speakers were members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Historian Scientists, and Diplomats.”
Recently, Anastasiia used her talents in digital arts to create an animated film about cultural heritage in Ukraine, which she shared on April 18th – the International Day of Cultural Heritage. Check it out here.
Anastasiia makes an important contribution to the causes she cares about by giving back to other young people who, like her, are looking to apply their passion to make a difference. To that end, she took some time to speak at her university and share what she’s learned. Anastasiia discussed what she gained from her experience visiting the United States on a J-1 visa program and being a Cultural Ambassador for CHI.
CHI launched the Cultural Ambassador Award (CAA) in 2017 as a way to give select exchange visitors participating in our Work & Travel program a chance to have a greater voice and represent their country at a prestigious cultural exchange conference in our nation’s capital. The award was a great opportunity for these young leaders to gain a deeper understanding of their roles as cultural representatives.
Anastasiia at the Parlament of Ukraine
