This summer, students of the Department of Journalism and Philology at the Faculty FPSC of SumDU didn't let boredom get the best of them. Instead, they used their time involving university graduates for the "Remember Yourself in the Classroom" project.

The project organized by SumDU's Press Center is a collaboration with the Department of Journalism and Philology to celebrate the university's anniversary. The initiative aims to unite different generations of students, exchange experiences, and demonstrate the university's most significant achievements - its graduates. Interviews with alumni began to be published on SumDU's website on June 20 and will finish after the university's anniversary celebration.

Twelve journalism students from various years of studying were involved in conducting these interviews. Here's what they said about their summer work experiences:

• "Participating in the 'Remember Yourself in the Classroom' project was a crazy experience for me in conducting interviews. Communicating with university graduates was very interesting and instructive because they provided valuable advice and recommendations. This practice was the most enjoyable aspect of my time at SumDU because it feels great when you enjoy the process!" student Anastasiia Sabchuk said.
• "It was an extraordinary experience for me because I worked with individuals I had never met before. They all are the development of different fields of our society. Our interviews gave me the opportunity to acquire new information, gain practical experience, and improve my journalism skills. I admit it was challenging because it was something unusual and new, but one must venture into the unknown, as that's where the most significant 'upgrade' occurs! Each respondent gave me some valuable advice as a person to a person, so I will definitely use them in both my professional and personal life. I am grateful to myself for participating in such a project and becoming a part of something significant," noted Valeriia Savelenko.
• "Actually, it was an exciting and pleasant experience. Every graduate recalled their student years with a smile. Some mentioned numerous funny stories about their leisure time, while others mentioned their favorite disciplines. But they all emphasized that these years held the most significance in their further lives. So, communicating with alumni inadvertently made me realize what years I am currently living through. Of course, distance education 'dulls' the colors of student life. Still, the sincere emotions I received during the 'Remember Yourself in the Classroom' project will motivate me to live my student life qualitatively and productively,"- said Anastasiia Kyzym.

Maryna Sadivnycha, a specialist from SumDU's Press Center, also commented on the project:

"When we planned the 'Remember Yourself in the Classroom' project, we had no idea how extensive and fascinating it would become. Many extraordinary individuals from various professions and specialties visited us, and all of them shared one thing in common – they were graduates of Sumy State University. They shared their experiences of student life with journalism students. It was enjoyable to observe our interns start each interview with excitement and, within minutes, see their nervousness transform into enthusiasm for an engaging and emotional conversation. Together with our heroes, students experienced events from different times, attended classes, traveled, organized cultural and artistic events, and saw the development of the university and the formation of student self-government. The stories of our graduates are the chronicles of university life through the eyes of its students."

Over the summer, we conducted 16 interviews with graduates, including the Chief of the Press Service of the Sumy Regional Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center, an assistant to a member of the Canadian Parliament, a correspondent of international Arab television, a counselor on policies and involvement in the "Dream and Act" programme by IREX Ukraine, a lawyer of the international company Ernst & Young Ukraine, and the chief of the Sumy Regional Children's Clinical Hospital. It is only a tiny portion of the individuals our students had the opportunity to interact with. The project is still in progress, and readers can look forward to more exciting stories and personalities. Follow the news on the website of Sumy State University.

Anna Oropai, student of the group "ZhT-12".