Introduction

Hello 👋

Welcome to our server, to our knowledge base

This is where the official part ends, thank you all 👀

And now let's get to know each other properly 👇

We are the team of the "Was Here" project. And formalities are not our thing.

Everyone here is united by a common dream and goal — to create new opportunities for you. We want to share the experiences we've gained and show our path to make it easier for you to walk yours.

Of course, everyone is more interested in paving their own "rakes," and we understand that well. But we are here to help you not step on the same ones, but to discover your own. Once, we were all at the starting point of finding ourselves, and some of us are just paving our path. Although, perhaps, we are all still searching, that's why we are here together with you.

Our team is very diverse — in age, experience, profile, and place of residence. But we are united by the desire to create something truly cool for you and together with you, because we know how to listen and understand. We share a common experience — and it was important for us to experience it together, side by side. Now we want to be close to you — to help, to encourage, and, if necessary, just to sit beside you while you search for your path.

We won't elaborate on everything we want to give you right now. The main thing is — we are here. And we will be glad if someday you also help those who are just starting their journey. Because that is probably the most valuable thing — to support each other.

And remember: you can always come here for advice or just to talk. We are here for that.

So, who are we?

*the curtain rises with a creak*

IHOR YEFIMENKO — a philosopher who didn't quite make it, and a candidate of historical sciences, a researcher of socio-political processes, once a project manager at Klitschko Foundation in a galaxy far, far away with 7 years of experience, now a project management lecturer at the "Without Borders" school and coordinator of educational programs and initiatives for private educational institutions. Currently helping schools to develop.Has a wide range of interests: tabletop role-playing games, American football, video games, comics. And overall, an interesting conversationalist. He is always in the loop on any topic.P.S. it's impossible to argue with him, but it's always worth a try.

VIKUSYA LAURENYUK — a specialist in public administration by education, by vocation — a mentor of the Upshift program and editor of the educational platform Pi-stacja UA.Believes in the power of education and communities, as they can change lives just like the right words at the right moment. Loves fantasy and Napoleon cake, romanticizes the mundane, keeps habit trackers and a diary (which she sincerely hopes no one will ever read).Doesn't like small talk "about nothing," but is always ready to talk about books, meanings, dogs, and the little joys of life.

IHOR MAKHNYK — once an organizer of educational and charitable projects, a volunteer, not too talkative mentor and "calm person," now an IT adventurer creating apps in the Apple ecosystem.Believes he lives to create. What exactly — is not so important, the main thing is to enjoy the process. An endless curiosity about complex things prevents him from keeping a normal sleep schedule: space, quantum physics, aviation, small applications that arise from the words "what if...?" A connoisseur of old comics and video games with deep plots.You can talk to him about all of this, about Star Wars, the Marvel universe, Dune, football, technology, AI, the meaning of existence, things he knows nothing about, and questions that sometimes come to mind completely randomly.

DARIA SOLODKOVA — a designer, streamer, volunteer, and just a wonderful person. In design since 2021, loves to create beautiful, comfortable, and necessary things.Likes when everything around is beautiful, so she works on our businesses in this regard. A volunteer since 2023, actively conducts fundraising for military needs, during this time has already managed to raise over 900k. Interests are so many that they can't all fit.Loves to try new activities and gain different experiences. Favorite hobbies: crafting (from cross-stitching to knitting), streaming, and reading.

MARIA KRAVTSOVA (to us, Marichka) — a management and business student at UAU. A leader in the making. Has experience in journalism, volunteered at the 4th Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, an upshifter, a communications specialist at the UNYD Support Office, SMM specialist.The same girl who interviewed Volodymyr Klitschko:() They say she finds it hard to sit still. So, whenever there's an opportunity, — Marichka is everywhere. Movement is life. Public speaking and managing a Google calendar — that’s her thing. Loves diverse development, so she is ready to talk about legends, paradoxes, and ecology. (But don’t be surprised if she doesn’t know some basic trends or movies).Values good jokes and positivity, because laughter prolongs life. Believes in the superpower of everyone who confidently moves forward, even if they don’t know what they want!

POLYA LABUNETS — currently just a schoolgirl who plans to enter KNU for a law degree. "The more complicated, the better" — this is what calms her when she takes on responsibility, but hasn't found a solution yet, as she is doing this for the first time.Takes everything as experience, so she is actively developing in the public sector and has already joined the NGO "League of Changes," which she dreamed of for many days, and now plans to become a member. She has been many places, with many people — and it really energizes her, but she has no plans to stop.She is trying to find herself in the field of entrepreneurship as well. From the basics: she mainly reads fantasy, business literature, and psychology, studies law in depth, constantly needs to go somewhere unknown, and loves Toblerone chocolate).

This is us, a team that creates, makes mistakes, laughs, sometimes doesn't sleep, but always believes. And if you are reading this — welcome, now you are also was here. So let's move forward together ✌️