LCC International University 2004 alumna, Lorna Qesteri, does not seem to lack life energy, as she has been involved with multiple activities since her graduation from LCC. Studying for a Master’s degree in Philadelphia, teaching Economics in Lithuania, volunteering in Ecuador and Kosovo, working for the United Nations in her home country of Albania – this is what Lorna has been doing for the last decade. We wonder, “What’s next?” This former LCC International Business Administration student and faculty member who left Lithuania three years ago gave her answers in this interview.
Lorna, tell us about your life after you left LCC? In what ways did LCC influence it?
Life after LCC has been quite busy. After LCC I worked for a year in Albania with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and then I pursued my Master’s at Eastern University in Philadelphia, where I had the opportunity to be guided and mentored by Dr. John E. Stapleford. I volunteered for a year in Ecuador, worked for World Vision in Albania, taught Economics for two years at LCC, returned to Albania in 2011, and since then I have been working for the United Nations Development Programme.
The years I spent at LCC International University as a student and later on as an Economics lecturer were unforgettable. I cherish the moments spent with my friends, students, professors and the awesome community there. LCC was definitely a major influence in my life not only in choosing my career path, but also in my spiritual and personal growth. LCC was a place where I always felt welcomed and supported in good and hard times.
It was during my Economics classes with Dr. Eric Hinderliter that I was motivated to continue my Master studies in International Development and direct my career towards the development sector, working for international organizations such as IOM, World Vision, United Nations, etc. The classes at LCC were not merely a place to absorb information, but also a place to be presented with contrasting worldviews, discuss, brainstorm solutions, and much more. There are so many LCC professors who come to my mind who did not simply lecture but also mentored.
Another LCC asset is its diverse student body with students coming from more than 25 different countries, giving them the opportunity to learn more from each other and be open to being challenged. Some of the friendships created at LCC with peers, professors, and students are still strong to this day. It is amazing to meet people from the LCC community around the world and reminisce about our LCC memories.
As we know, even prior to entering LCC, you have been participating in volunteer activities, such as working with post-war children affected by the war in Kosovo. Later on you worked in a number of nonprofit organizations. Is it a lifestyle you chose or is this just a series of coincidences?
Volunteering was instilled in me by my church pastors in Albania. As part of a youth group, my friends and I started to volunteer in villages across Albania and Kosovo, working with disadvantaged children and youth. We continue to this day to teach children and participate in volunteer opportunities wherever they arise. In Lithuania there were also many opportunities to volunteer. As a student at LCC, I volunteered at the Salvation Army, working with the homeless and those in orphanages. These volunteer experiences, coupled with my experience at LCC and Eastern University, were definitely determining factors to choose to work for nonprofit organizations.
Volunteering does not seem to be so popular in Lithuania. Why would you recommend any one to volunteer? How was it beneficial for you personally?
I believe that volunteering is one of the most satisfying experiences one could have. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve… You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
Volunteering helps not only the people who we serve, but also ourselves. I spent a year in Ecuador volunteering at the Center for Working Children, a center created and operated entirely on volunteers and fundraising for the last fifty years. It helps working children and their families receive an education and professional training in order to overcome poverty. During that year, I was immersed in a totally different culture, witnessed poverty that I had never imagined, but also learned so much from the people who faced poverty daily and still had a smile on their face and were some of the most hospitable people I have ever met. During that year I learned that very little can make people happy, and that education is the key to overcoming poverty and barriers.
I would encourage students at LCC to get involved in the LCC community, home countries, or even look for places they have never imagined where they could serve.
You are currently working for the United Nations. Tell us more about your work. What do you like most about it?
I have been working for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Albania for the last three years. UNDP Albania focuses in the promotion of socio-economic reforms to assist some of the most vulnerable groups in the country, foster rule of law and environment protection, and assist regional and local authorities provide better services to the people.
I work mostly in the regional and local development sector in the capacity of program coordinator, dealing with programmatic aspects of projects such as reporting and researching, and also operational aspects such as procurement, recruitments, etc.
The best part of my current job is working close to development practitioners who have been active in this sector for a long time. In turn, I have learned from their experiences as well as been part of an organization that supports our government in its agenda for EU integration and development.
Lorna, you are such a vibrant person. What are your future aspirations?
My future aspiration is to continue my career with the United Nations as well as pursue a PhD in local economic development.
LCC community remembers you not only as an active student, but also as an instructor much beloved by LCC students. Is there a chance to see you again at LCC?
This is something that I think about often, and I will definitely return for a visit or teach a summer class.
Thank you, and we all hope to hear from you in the future!
Studies at LCC International University bring international oportunities.
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