Success to the fullest: the story of Mariia Verbytska

Some people seem to manage everything at once: studies, laboratory work, the stage, civic initiatives, and academic presentations. Yet the story of Mariia Verbytska is not about trying to do as much as possible,  it is about the ability to find sense in everything she does.
 
Mariia is a fourth-year student at the SEI ‘Ukrainian State University of Chemical Technology’ of USUST. She studies in ‘Publishing and Printing’ educational programme at the Faculty of Food and Chemical Technologies. Her academic path combines science, technology, environmental awareness, and creative approach.
 
She gained her first significant experience of independent research in a university laboratory. When the necessary equipment for adsorption polishing of diesel fuel was unavailable, Mariia found an alternative solution: she used a glass burette as an improvised chromatographic column, assembled the setup herself, and carried out the final stage of purification from sulfur-containing compounds. According to Mariia, it was the moment when she realized her own ability to find engineering solutions.
 
Today, Mariia works in the laboratory of the Department of Polymers, Fuels and Printing Materials. For almost two years, her research has focused on the synthesis and application of ionic liquids, particularly for improving the properties of materials used in printing. She is convinced that science has real value only when it is transformed into practical technologies and production solutions. She also pays special attention to the environmental sustainability of processes and seeks to develop safer approaches for the industry.
Beyond science, Mariia is actively involved in civic initiatives. She leads the Dnipro Youth Centre project ‘The History of Your City’ (project No. 117), which aims to popularize the city’s history and promote national-patriotic education among young people. Earlier, she completed an internship with the advisory body Dnipro Youth Council on July 12, 2023, where she proved herself to be a responsible, proactive, and goal-oriented participant, later becoming a member of the council.
 
Within the project, the team led by Mariia organized 18 events and engaged around 450 participants, including internally displaced persons. According to participant surveys, the events were highly praised for their strong organization, new knowledge they provided about the city, and their ability to motivate young people to further explore the history of Dnipro and Ukraine. The project also gained national recognition: on April 4, 2025, following the online voting of the ‘Golden Flipchart 2025’ competition, it won third place in the ‘Youth Project of the Year’ nomination.

The project’s activities include interactive tours in various formats, including visits to the tram and trolleybus depot and the Botanical Garden. Another important area of work is participation in the grant project ‘MemoMakers: The history of the Holocaust through the eyes of young people’ by the NGO ‘Youth Platform’. As part of this initiative, the team is creating video stories of Holocaust witnesses, working with archival materials and the format of intergenerational dialogue.

Mariia is also actively involved in the university’s creative life: she sings and performs on the stage of the USUST Centre for Culture, Arts and Media. In her personal and professional growth, she relies on the support of her mentors: Stanislav and Oksana Radzimovskyi, the centre’s director and stage director respectively; she learns responsibility from Maryna Demidko, head of the Museum of the History of USUCT; and professional dedication from her academic supervisor, Professor Olha Sverdlykovska, director of the SEI ‘USUCT’.

Her life principle is simple yet demanding: ‘Managing everything comes at a price. Think carefully about what you spend your time on’. Today, in wartime conditions, she thinks beyond her personal career and focuses on how her knowledge and experience can contribute to Ukraine’s recovery and development.
 
Mariia Verbytska’s story is a vivid example of how USUST fosters a new generation of professionals who can combine science, responsibility, and leadership creating meaningful change today.