Diana Mockute

Sunday thought ✨

I never thought I would have to write this. Yesterday was Friday. I went to the office like I have done so many Fridays before. If you know me, you know I love Fridays at the office. The energy is different, we laugh, we talk, sometimes there is food, and we get through another busy week together. It felt like a normal Friday. I had no idea that by the end of the day, everything would change. Yesterday, ILAC Education Group entered insolvency proceedings, and hundreds of us suddenly lost our jobs. Hundreds of students had their dreams interrupted. I am still trying to process it. I feel like a part of me died yesterday. I am mourning. Because ILAC was never just my job. ILAC was my life for 21 years. Twenty one years of memories, friendships, students, travel, challenges, celebrations, difficult days, amazing days, growth, laughter and so many people who became family. I gave so much of myself to this organization because I genuinely loved what I did and cared deeply about the people we served. And I know there are many questions right now. I have seen people wondering how we did not know this was coming. Things had been challenging, yes. We knew that. But never in our wildest thoughts did we imagine it would come to this. We had no idea this was coming. We found out just like everyone else. My heart is breaking for our students, parents and agents who trusted us with their futures. I am so deeply sorry for the uncertainty and stress this has caused. I am also heartbroken for our staff, my team, my colleagues and their families. People who showed up every day, gave their best and suddenly find themselves facing so much uncertainty. Please be kind to our teams. They are processing their own shock, fear and heartbreak. They did not know. We did not know. When I look back at 21 years, I realize how much of my life is connected to ILAC. My career was built there. Some of my closest friendships were built there. So many chapters of my life happened there. Yesterday, that chapter ended in a way I never imagined. I am heartbroken. I am sad. I am mourning something that was such a huge part of who I am. But I am also grateful. Grateful for the people. Grateful for the students. Grateful for our agents and partners. Grateful for every person who became part of this story. The company may be gone, but the people, friendships, memories and lives we touched do not disappear. To everyone who has reached out, called, messaged and offered support, thank you. Your kindness means more than you know. And finally, a HUGE shout out to our teams. I see you. I am proud of you. And I will always be grateful that I had the privilege of working alongside you. 21 years. A lifetime of memories.

17 years ago, I arrived in Canada to attend ILAC. I learned English, met my wife, and had my first job, where I went from intern to Head of Marketing and eventually oversaw recruitment. But most importantly, I met some of the smartest and hardest-working people I know, many of whom later became my best friends and family. The success of ILAC during the good years was nothing but the determination, resilience, commitment, perseverance and creativity of some of the best people in the industry, led by the original founders. I had some of the best years of my life there. I worked alongside incredible professionals who somehow made the impossible happen, over and over again. If you are hiring, do yourself a favor and search for people who worked at ILAC. Reach out to me if you need references, especially for those who spent 7+ years there. I know many of them personally, and I know what they are capable of. And to my friends at ILAC: remember that the company was never your value or your identity. Your value is in the way you show up every day. Your creativity. The network you built. Your passion. Your resilience. And the way you genuinely cared about international students. All of that goes with you. It can be translated into another company, another industry, or even your own startup. I’ll be here cheering for you. Oscar Blanco Fabiana Schneider Tatiana Dandzur Tatiana Menniti Santiago Uzal Sanchez Miho Saido Isabella Vivares Juan Carlos Hernandez Saavedra Catalina Mosquera Renny Zeis Olga Kuznetsova Hande Coskun Magdalena LinkMagdalena Link Lorena Díaz Monroy Jaime René Atehortúa MolinaLorena Díaz Monroy Jaime René Atehortúa Molina Itai Shenker

Some professional connections come full circle. It was wonderful catching up with Sushrutha Metikurke today. We first connected a couple of years ago, and it's great to reconnect now through the partnership between LCI Group and the University of Waikato College. Looking forward to the journey ahead.

Every meaningful impact starts with people who care.   I'm incredibly proud to see the start of our CSR journey through GEI Cares, with the successful launch of our inaugural initiative, Project Green Hope.   From helping create a kitchen garden that will support the nutrition of over 350 students to sharing guidance and encouragement with young minds, our volunteers demonstrated the power of collective action and purpose.   My sincere thanks to the GEI Cares GUS Education India team for bringing this initiative to life, our partner Nirmaan Organization Nirmaan Organization, and every volunteer who contributed their time and energy to make the day a success.   This is just the beginning, and I'm excited to see the positive impact we can create together in the years ahead. #LifeAtGEI #UsAtGUS #GEICares

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