This year, more than 30 qualified specialists (carpenters, culinary professionals, and sustainable landscaping specialists) completed their studies – for some, this was their first professional step, while for others it marked a new direction.

The event was attended by Monika Zavistanavičiūtė, Acting Executive Director of the Kazickas Family Foundation in Lithuania, and Neila Baumilienė, Director of the Foundation’s New York office, who congratulated the graduates and wished them success in their future professional paths.

The KFF has been collaborating with the trade school since 2013. One of the most significant examples of this partnership is the Jean and Margaret Bigot Scholarship, established in 2022 to support talented, active, motivated, and socially disadvantaged students.

The initiative was launched by Neila Baumilienė. It is funded by the Bigot family’s relatives and friends, while the Kazickas Family Foundation matches the contributions. The scholarship provides €1,000 per student per academic year, and in the 2025–2026 academic year it has been awarded to 11 students.

Sodžiaus meistrai was founded in 2002 at the initiative of the Congregation of St. John, with the aim of helping socially vulnerable young people gain a profession and build independent lives. Today, the school continues this mission by providing opportunities to develop practical skills, responsibility, and professional readiness, as well as to obtain a new qualification.