For forty years, day in and day out, these people have been working for the development of Ukraine’s agricultural sector. Immediately after graduation, they connected their lives with the profession they learned at the university and devoted all their strength and knowledge to their chosen specialty. Today, they gathered at Sumy National Agrarian University to remember their student days. They are 1984 graduates of four specialties: Agronomy, Economics and Organization of Agriculture, Zoo Engineering, and Mechanization of the Sumy Branch of the Kharkiv Dokuchaev Agricultural Institute.
Together, they recalled the best times of their lives: the times of their first sense of independence, fruitful studies, and fun meetings with friends. The moments of building the modern campus of the SNAU and developing the material and technical base, in which they were directly involved, are also etched in the memory of the graduates.
In addition to the warm, friendly meeting, the graduates also attended a solemn part, where many were awarded with letters of thanks and certificates for their diligent 40-year work for the benefit of the agro-industrial complex of Ukraine and Sumy region.
Taras SAVCHENKO, Deputy Head of the Sumy Regional State Administration, who was present at the event, presented the certificates of the Sumy Regional State Administration and the letters of thanks from the Sumy Regional Council in his welcoming speech:
“I have heard from many of those present today: “40 years have flown by like a moment”. I am 43 now, and this is almost my whole life. You have lived these 40 years, between graduation and today, working in your field, applying all your knowledge and efforts to the development of agriculture in our region. Today, we would like to thank you for your dedication to the choice you made more than 40 years ago.”
Oleksandr MASLAK, Director of the Department of Agricultural Development of the Sumy Regional State Administration, outlined several achievements of the Sumy region’s agricultural sector and noted that the high performance we have today is due to the graduates who worked in this area. He presented the best of the best with diplomas from the Department of Agricultural Development of the Sumy Regional State Administration and diplomas from the Department of Education and Science of the Sumy Regional State Administration.
Volodymyr LADYKA, Rector of Sumy National Agrarian University, a 1984 graduate of the specialty “Zoo Engineering,” told the audience stories from his student life, shared fond memories of his student days and presented the Rector’s letters of appreciation.
The meeting ended with the laying of the Alumni Square. From now on, 40 oak laurel trees, which has always been a symbol of victory, light, and superiority, have appeared on the territory of the SNAU.
Many warm words and memories were shared by each graduate. Student years were the best and brightest. Read the stories of our alumni in short interviews.
Volodymyr LADYKA, a 1984 graduate of the Zoo Engineering program:
“My impressions of being a student were extraordinary. Back then, entering a higher education institution was a feat, and many people dreamed of studying at universities or institutes. Especially those who studied better than others. It was very important for me to enter a university because I had a 4.5 grade point average in that measurement system. When I received the confirmation letter, I was overjoyed. It was a very high psychological lift. Studying at the university immediately changed my life, because in a week I became independent, left my family, where I was under the cover of my relatives. I started living a responsible life in the dormitory. I remember the first session, which I passed with flying colours and received a higher scholarship. This was another emotional uplift. In my second year, I became a monitor of the group, which added emotions and maturation. I was responsible for 25 classmates. At that time, it was a specific task. I had to raise money for stamps and organize students to clean the street. In my senior year, there was an understanding that you would soon go to work and you needed to know more. I have a lot of memories from those days. I was impressed with my thesis defence, because I got a red diploma. I also remember a trip to the city of Grodno, where I spoke at a student conference. In the modern bomb shelter of the SNAU dormitory, I once held a microphone for the first time and hosted the event. Speaking about the present, our university is the most modern. It is a campus, not just buildings scattered around the city. I have been working at SNAU since January 2, 1990, so the formation of the current university took place before my eyes. Today, the best thing I have been able to do while working at SNAU is to build a young team. I consider it an achievement of the university that the age of the deans is within 40 years. Many department heads are young people. In addition, our university is one of the best agricultural universities in the country.”
Valentyna KARPENKO, a 1984 graduate of the Economics and Organization of Agriculture program:
“My student years were the best in my life. We were one family, taking joint steps of growing up away from our family, learning responsibility. When I started working after graduation, I understood everything I had to do. This is evidence of the high level of students’ training. My most vivid memories, however, were not related to my studies. We went to work on the farms, had fun in the evenings, and celebrated the New Year together. There are many such moments. Of course, the current facilities of the university are completely different from what we started with. When I studied, there was only a building on the site of the modern campus. And now, one day, I wanted to get to the dormitory and… got lost! As far as SNAU has developed, the territory has become one of the most beautiful in Sumy. There are also well-equipped classrooms. The university has modernized and become one of the best in Ukraine.”
Oleksandr RUTSKYI, 1984 graduate of the Mechanization program:
“I remember the way we built the modern campus of SNAU. Since I studied after the “technical school,” I knew how to operate construction equipment, so I joined the construction work. For example, I remember when there was a garden on the site of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. Later, I used to dig trenches and foundations with a tractor. All students participated in the work after classes and enthusiastically built the university with their own hands. SNAU is my true alma mater. Now it has modern equipment that was not available when we were studying. Together with Mykhailo DOVZHYK, we made all the details with our own hands to show the students how they look.”
Yurii MAKSYCHKO, 1984 graduate of Agronomy:
“I am overwhelmed with both joy and sadness. It’s been 40 years, but we managed to get together. Of course, the difference between the university I once studied at and its current state is obvious. We all know that our university has become one of the best higher education institutions in Ukraine. It is very pleasant and joyful. My time as a student was the most wonderful in my life, and I am sure that everyone here thinks the same. At first, we studied in a building on modern Shevchenko Avenue in Sumy, then we equipped a place on the site of the banking academy, lived in the first and second dormitories. Now we see a beautifully landscaped campus of the SNAU. The university has become more popular among young people. The institution of higher education has become reputable, as evidenced by the large number of partners in Ukraine and abroad.”
