Kateryna Denysova. Photography by Staccato.
Bright, reflexive, more mature than her age, with an extraordinary sense of duty mixed with a highly open personality: Kateryna Denysova, like other sons and daughters of diplomats, really sees the world differently. We met her in The Hague, where her father is posted and where she works as a volunteer in Diplomat Magazine’s Junior Team. This is her story, directly in her words.
Hello! I am Kateryna. I’ve been born and raised in Ukraine, although at the age of 12 I moved to the United States with my parents. It was my first experience living abroad and I have to say that it was fantastic! I got an opportunity to explore another culture and meet different people. I have always been interested in observing how I can adapt to a new setting, which I also plan to keep on doing in the future.
Now that I’m a student, I still can’t imagine my life without exploring new countries. Thus, because of my deep interest in the dynamic nature of the international environment, I chose to enroll in the BA International Studies at Leiden University. Since then, The Netherlands has become my third home. Here there are so many cultures coming together, both in the academic and in the social environment, that you are always stimulated and inspired.
Living in several countries gave me a lot of valuable experience in communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds. What fascinates me the most is learning new languages to be able to communicate with others freely. Therefore, during my stay in the United States, I was able to improve my language skills not only in English, but also in French and Spanish. Currently, in The Netherlands, I’m also learning Dutch with the help of my friends who are native speakers.
Along with my studies, I volunteer in an NGO where I help to establish communications between government officials and the local community. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in the world, even if it is a small contribution. Fascinated by international affairs, in the future I would like to pursue my career in international organizations with a focus on communications and public affairs.
Best of luck for your future enterprises, Kateryna!
