Today we’d like to introduce you to Nataliia Liaturynska-Renhevych
Nataliia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The story of dramatic changes in my life began three years ago, when Russia started the war in Ukraine. I was a news anchor on one of the Ukrainian TV channels. But on the day of the great war, my family made a painful decision to leave. As a journalist, I really wanted to stay and report on everything that was happening around me, but as a mom of two girls, my biggest desire was to protect them as much as possible.
Today, I can say for sure that I have fulfilled my mission as a mom.
And then I started looking for my way back to television and journalism. It’s not easy in your own country, let alone looking for a job where no one knows you and where you are a blank slate.
The support of my family and close friends gave me no reason to give up. So I continued to send my resume where I felt I could be useful. Luckily for me, I heard back from a professional TV team here in Minnesota and am now working as a news producer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I thought that I would be able to return home and to my life in two weeks, then in a month, then in a year I realized that the war was still going on and I had to start living. Because the feeling of not living and not making plans is very destructive – you are not at home, but you are not where you are now either. You’re in some kind of in-between world.
And so finding yourself in a professional environment is precisely about returning to life and the ability to make plans.
For almost a year, I worked as an executive assistant in a non- profit organization. It helped me improve my English, learn business communication, and recover my self-confidence.
Plus, my good research skills led me to Upwardly Global, a non-profit which helped me with resume, explained the nuances of job interviews here in the US, and helped me build networking.
This was another support for me.
So, yes, it’s not an easy path, but I’m happy that I met people who helped me along the way. You are never alone on the path – you just need to look around sometimes.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Now I work as a news producer at a local TV station in Twin Cities. And it’s a job where you, like a musician, have to combine all the notes into one beautiful piece of music.
And you have to understand that the producer is behind the scenes, and the main person in the news who tells you everything is the anchor.
Therefore, mutual respect, the ability to listen to each other and teamwork are very important.
I’ve just celebrated three months in this position.
I started from scratch – didn’t know the technical aspects that are used here, didn’t write news in English. Sometimes my brain refused to work because there was too much stress from everything new around me.
But now I’ve learned the technical nuances, I’m improving myself every day and trying to become a full-fledged member of the team.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Very easy – I love new ideas and am always ready to support them. I treat my colleagues with respect and hope to be treated the same way. In fact, I think I’m a pretty easy team player.
I started my professional career on the radio, and then I began a long and lasting love affair with television. I have worked as a reporter, editor, invited speakers for shows, managed projects, produced and hosted TV shows. A big plus for me personally is that I know many aspects of television. That’s why I can understand why certain processes happen the way they do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalka_liaturynska?igsh=MXBnZ3diamx3bW0xOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliia-liaturynska-4ab8a1195
