My name is Nastia, and I am a 4-year student in the Sociology program at Ukrainian catholic university. Last summer, I had a chance to visit a great summer school in Dubrovnik, the topic of which was “Practicing resilience. Preparing for recovery”. And I would like to share my experience and express gratitude for the chance to participate in such a great project.

First, it was a great chance to gain new knowledge connected to different topics, which helped us develop our understanding and discover our feelings and experiences. The professors told us a lot about the psychological aspects of the war, which was relevant to us. Also, we worked on posttraumatic growth, vulnerability, and recovery. These topics helped us cope with our fear and insecurities, as our country is now facing massive aggression, and we need to stay strong and be ready for post-war recovery.

Besides exciting lectures, we also had practical workshops, where we shared our thoughts and emotions and communicated which professors and friends.

Now, I want to talk about what I liked the most – our evening gatherings and small travels. I will always remember our fun games, evening movies, and time on Lokrum island. During those two weeks, we’ve become close friends. Thank you, I’ve experienced happiness, hope, respect, joy, a lot of fun, and sometimes sadness, but all of these were special because you shared them with me.

Summer School in Dubrovnik was not only a place where I learned a lot but only a place where I felt inner power and love. It was a powerful community where our experience was heard, and we felt enormous support. Thank you, and waiting for us all to meet again!

Summer school was a novel and wonderful experience for me. Thanks to this school I have met many interesting people and established new friendships which have at the same time helped me grow as a person.

We went through some heavy moments, but we had just as many joyful and happy moments, if not more. Thanks to the experiences we mutually shared through our work and discussions I think it’s fair to say we forged bonds that will last a lifetime and beyond. The program itself was a fine blend of education and relaxation, which helped build this amazing relaxing atmosphere and help in our creative assignments.

For those two weeks, Dubrovnik really felt like an oasis separate from the rest of the world, just something for us to enjoy and partake in. I was kind of caught off-guard by the cultural engagement I had with other Christian denominations, which I appreciated more as time went on. Lastly, I believe our Ukrainian guests really found some respite from the crisis they are facing every day and find strength in the experiences they had for those two weeks.

I have decided to enroll in summer school out of curiosity and now, when I look back, I will cherish those two weeks forever, really. We were hosted in a beautiful city Dubrovnik by the warmest Sisters and workers in the student dormitory „Paola Di Rosa“.

The lectures were effective and intensive, and after each lecture, I felt a little bit of growth in myself and my colleagues.

Everything that wasn’t discussed in lectures, was covered in workshops in the afternoon. At the end of the day, we would play games or quiz, or watch a movie – everything being connected to learning and expanding our viewpoint of „resilience“. Meeting students from Ukraine to Poland, gave me more confidence in public speaking while using another language, and we still keep in touch.

We have also visited the island of Lokrum, mountain Srđ, and city walls. But my favorite memories are those when after a whole day we would get together and go to the Old Town where we hang out by the sea – talking, (sometimes even singing and dancing!), and sharing. For those two weeks, we were at each other – home.

For me, it was a great pleasure to spend those lovely 2 weeks in Dubrovnik participating in summer school. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity of living in Dubrovnik for two weeks. Being able to go to the city walls and mountain Srđ was incredible, not to mention the fascinating island of Lokrum. But most of all, I am thankful for the people that were there with us. Most of us connected the very first day and stayed in contact ever since. Being a little brave and applying without knowing anybody was absolutely worth it.

The lectures were very interesting and useful and opened many points of view. Some thoughts are forever locked in my mind. When it comes to resilience, many of us think about something abstract and complicated but throughout these two weeks of lectures, I realized that resilience can be found in very small and simple examples. The same goes for vulnerability. It is probably the key fact about people to be remembered; everyone can be vulnerable and resilient, and it is different from person to person and from situation to situation. That is what makes it so special, it is not determined.

There is one thing about Summer School I must add. It is the laughs. I cannot remember when the last time that I smiled as much as I smiled for those two weeks. Joy is the biggest highlight of those two weeks that I will cherish in my heart when thinking of Dubrovnik.