For Anna Gumenyuk, it became the beginning of a mission: making sure other young people do not lose access to opportunity simply because of where they come from.
Anna Gumenyuk is a visionary, award-winning young leader advocating for accessible, future-proof education (SDG 4) and Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10) by equipping youth with the tools needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
She is a Ukrainian youth advocate and education leader working at the intersection of educational equity, inclusion, and future-proof skills. Drawing on her background in international relations, law, and psychology, she creates educational opportunities for displaced and marginalized young people and connects them with the skills, networks, and platforms they need to shape their futures.
Her own experience of displacement inspired her to pay the opportunity forward. Anna has designed four non-formal education frameworks for Ukrainian youth, developed skills-matching initiatives for displaced students, and contributed to intercultural exchange projects reaching hundreds of young Ukrainians across Europe.
Furthermore, at just 19, she designed and taught a conflict resolution curriculum for a Czech business academy, demonstrating a commitment to teaching future-proof human skills. Through her grassroots initiatives, monthly opportunity-sharing sessions, and widely shared application guides, Anna has directly impacted hundreds of young lives and strengthened student networks across Europe. By turning digital platforms into accessible hubs for learning and professional growth, Anna ensures that the next generation of leaders—especially young women and refugees—has equal access to the knowledge, global mobility, and skills needed to shape tomorrow's world.
As a founder of a UNESCO Media and Information Literacy chapter, UNICEF Youth Ambassador in Switzerland, European Governance Lab Ambassador, and Internet Governance Forum Youth Track Organizer, Anna brings this belief into action across education, digital literacy, youth participation, and international cooperation. She has also taught future-proof skills and conflict resolution to international groups of young people.
Her goal is simple but ambitious: build systems where more young people have a seat at the table—and know what to do once they get there.
