“Plan ahead, think thoroughly, but don’t ever forget to enjoy the ride,” says Luis Francisco Green from Honduras, who graduated from KTU with a bachelor’s in electronics and electrical engineering this June. He is grateful for the support of his parents and friends who made this journey possible.
“I’ve always had a passion for technical repairs, whatever they may be. What helped me decide on this path was my mum’s ability to recognise that talent in me,” says Luis Francisco.
Born and raised in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, Luis Francisco describes himself as an outgoing, technical and dedicated person, an avid sports enthusiast. He chose Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) through advice from a friend, a fellow Honduran, who graduated last year.
“I would like to thank Wendy Giovanna Andino, whose words of encouragement helped throughout the process,” says Luis Francisco.
Grateful for the chances he was given
A recent graduate of BSc Electronics and Electrical Engineering understood that this is his path rather early on: “I remember, if my PlayStation console broke down, I would try to fix it myself, thus learning the concepts step by step.” However, he was sure that studying across the ocean to get his degree would be a great challenge. Therefore, Luis Francisco is especially grateful for the continuous support of his parents, his best friend and their family.
Although starting to live in a new country, the environment and city caused a certain amount of anxiety, Luis Francisco relied on his open-minded personality to help him.
“I started making connections from the day I set foot on campus,” says a fresh-out-of-KTU graduate from Honduras.
He attempted to make the most of all the opportunities provided by the university, and is grateful for them: “Entertaining activities, advanced facilities with state-of-the-art technology, allowed me to deepen my knowledge and develop my skills, and improve both technically and professionally.”
Luis Francisco has been accepted to a master’s in Electrical Power Engineering at KTU and feels blessed to be able to stay in Lithuania.
Never walk back, just forward
Coming from a country where access to electricity is limited, a Honduran KTU graduate dreams about a career in the high voltage industry and would like to become a manager one day. For finding this niche, Luis Francisco is especially grateful to his professor of Power Transmission course, Povilas Valatka, and to his internship supervisors at TEMSA, who assisted him in gaining practical experience.
Lithuania, he says, is a place which moulded him as a young professional. “Kaunas will forever hold a special place in my heart, but being back home or somewhere close to home is also appealing,” admits a fresh KTU graduate from Honduras. He says that in life, it is important to keep a balance between personal life and career.
“For anyone reading this article, if you ever feel walking without a sense of direction, or not knowing what the next step is, walk forward, not back, not sideways, forward,” advises Luis Francisco.
He encourages planning thoroughly, but never forgetting to enjoy what you are doing. You will get where you want to be if you keep moving forward, believes Luis Francisco. “At the end, it will all be worth it,” says a KTU graduate who flew 10 thousand kilometres to study abroad for his first degree.