Life After LCC — 35 Years, 35 Stories: Simona Januškė
2026-04-21
LCC Alumni Story: Simona Januškė, from Lithuania, Class of 2015, major in International Business Administration. Life After LCC is a monthly interview and story series featuring alumni of LCC International University. The series is part of 35 Years – 35 Stories, celebrating the university’s 35th anniversary. 1. Where are you now? Tell us about your current role, studies, or projects. I currently lead the Employer Brand & Culture team at Surfshark, a role I’ve been dedicated to for nearly five years. Surfshark is a cybersecurity company and Lithuania’s second unicorn. In a nutshell, my role is about ensuring our external identity as an employer truly reflects our internal culture, and vice versa. Leading a multi-disciplinary team of five, I oversee our strategy across PR, social media, partnerships, social responsibility, and internal engagement. While the role is fast-paced and requires constant multitasking, it’s incredibly rewarding to see our culture come to life through so many different channels. 2. Which experiences at LCC helped prepare you for where you are today? My journey with LCC began before university, when I took English courses there as a high school student — it opened my eyes to a unique, international environment that I truly enjoyed. Once I became a student, I focused on maximizing every opportunity available. Participating in entrepreneurship programs like FACE and WoW Berlin, along with an internship at SEB Bank, provided the foundational skills that helped me launch my career after graduation. Additionally, working in various on-campus roles, such as an Erasmus assistant, and participating in student leadership programs taught me how to work efficiently and truly “hustle” in a professional setting. 3. When did you realize what you wanted to pursue professionally, and how did LCC influence that decision? I never had a rigid plan for my career, but LCC definitely helped me shape a vision of what my future could be. I truly valued the strong sense of community and the international environment of the university; it broadened my horizons and made me realize I wanted to work in a place with those same qualities. I’ve always been interested in marketing and the digital space, which was still a very new field when I enrolled. At LCC, I took nearly every marketing course, project, and initiative possible to learn as much as I could. I feel very fortunate to have had amazing mentors and professors like Eglė Petrošiūtė, Indrė Razbadauskaitė-Venskė, and Vaidas Levickis, as they showed me just how diverse the marketing industry is and that the possibilities are truly endless. While roles like mine didn’t even exist in Lithuania when I was a student, these experiences gave me a clear idea of the environment I wanted to be a part of. I feel incredibly lucky that this vision has been my reality for five years now. 4. How did LCC help you grow as a leader? Tell us about your leadership experience. During my time at LCC, I encountered many inspiring leaders, but the concept that truly shaped me was “servant leadership.” That phrase has stayed with me ever since graduation, largely because I saw so many professors embody it with such grace, demonstrating the positive impact it can have on a whole community. Now, as a team lead, I follow that same philosophy — prioritizing empathy, understanding, and a spirit of collaboration. 5. How did LCC help you build relationships and networks that still matter to you today? The friendships I built during my time at LCC remain incredibly strong to this day; they are truly one of the greatest gifts the university gave me. I met so many amazing people who helped me become the person I am today through their support, friendship, and mentorship. Looking back at the different stages of my life since graduation, I realize there has always been someone from LCC right there with me, sharing in the journey. 6. What are your favorite memories from your time at LCC? While I have so many wonderful memories from LCC, the 2012 Parade of Stars holds a very special place in my heart. The entire experience, from the rehearsals to the final performance, is something that has stayed with me ever since. Not only did it strengthen the friendships I already had, but it’s actually how I met one of my best friends — by playing his wife. That event truly kickstarted some of the most cherished moments of my time at the university. 7. What advice would you give to current and future LCC students? I’ll share a piece of advice from an LCC professor that completely changed my perspective: “The best thing you can take away from university is learning how to learn.” It sounds simple, but it is incredibly profound. If you master the art of learning, you will never fall behind; you will consistently grow both personally and professionally. It is truly the greatest investment you can make in yourself.
