Mazel Tov, Vlada!
The Project Kesher community congratulates PK Ukraine Executive Director Vlada Nedak for graduating from her MBA program at Lviv Business School of Ukraine Catholic University, one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Read Vlada’s speech below.
Vlada’s Graduation Speech
The Project Kesher community congratulates PK Ukraine Executive Director Vlada Nedak for graduating from her MBA program at Lviv Business School of Ukraine Catholic University, one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Read Vlada’s speech below.
How could you spend 21 months? And if you had 630 days ahead of you, how exactly would you plan them? Imagine you won a prize of $15,120, how would you spend it? Would you buy a few small things or make one large purchase? That's how much time — 15,120 hours or 630 days or 21 months – it took to complete a master's degree at the Lviv Business School. That is how much we, who receive this degree today, have invested in ourselves. Every one of us, present today, has gone through a personal life path, which is difficult and impossible to compare. But all of us at one point chose to study at the Lviv Business School as a way to further our growth in modern leadership and strengthen the Ukrainian business cohort.
How do we measure changes during this training time? As someone who struggled with physics in school, I won't give you the formula today, but I can describe the effect that this time had on me. The acquired knowledge became important not only in terms of volume but, above all, our understanding of what to invest in next. The speed of movement through life has not changed but has accelerated where the importance of decisions affects long-term plans. The worldview acquired such a scale that the modern picture of the world and the historical path of our country acquired a new meaning and understanding of future processes. The values that guided me in life became the basis for building my business in the future.
The thesis and the degree itself do not just mark the end of our studies, it is a mark of belonging to a special community. A community that I, as a member of the cultural and religious heritage of Judaism, can describe with one of my favorite teachings of Hillel: "If I am not for myself, then who is for me. But if I am only for myself, then why me? If not now, then when?" (Pirkei Avot 1:14). It is a consolidation of many teachings, but in the purest sense, it tells us that we must be able to stand up for ourselves, stand up for justice and take care of our "inner" environment. But this cannot be done without taking into account the needs of others. We are created to cooperate with the Divine in restoring the broken fragments of our world and that is in the human realm. Live a meaningful life and contribute to our society; take care of our family and include our extended family in this protection. We do not rely on God in our work. Each of us is responsible.
I want to draw special attention to the conclusion of this powerful teaching, which will help us at any time: "If not now, then when?" It's about rushing to do good. You can't delay, because it might be too late. It is our duty not only to ensure that we make our contribution in life but to ensure that we do so in a timely manner. To do as much good as possible: when we can, as soon as we can, and do it NOW. Do not delay your actions.
Today, unfortunately, my grandfather and mother, who passed away, could not join this event. And all of those who left during the war in Ukraine should also become part of important future family celebrations and remembrance. With this speech, I pay tribute to those who died and bow low to those who defend our country and make it possible to continue living. Glory to Ukraine!