The Kazickas Family: A legacy of philanthropic commitment to educating the next generation of leaders in Lithuania

John Kazickas (left) and his father, Dr. Juozas Kazickas (right).

“My father lived the American dream,” board member of The Kazickas Family Foundation, John Kazickas, told ASSIST recently. “He worked very hard at establishing himself throughout his career and with such a great personality, he was admired by so many people. His success was always accompanied by generosity and charity. And, above everything, he was always looking to see what was going to happen in Lithuania.”

John’s father, the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Juozas Kazickas, was forced to flee his homeland of Lithuania after the Soviet invasion during World War II. Unfortunately, Juozas Kazickas and his family were no strangers to the hardship of war and political conflict. His grandparents were deported to Russia before his birth due to their involvement in an uprising against Russian forces in Lithuania. They returned to their homeland a few years later, in 1922. 

Later in 1944, with their young daughter Jurate in tow, Juozas Kazickas and his wife Aleksandra Kazickas (née Kalvenas) took up temporary residence in Germany, in camps for those displaced by the war. It was there that Mr. Kazickas received word that he would have the opportunity to continue his education, as he had been accepted to Yale University on scholarship for his PhD in economics. Imagining a future full of possibilities, Mr. and Mrs. Kazickas quickly made arrangements to immigrate to the United States and settle down in New Haven, Connecticut, where Mr. Kazickas would go on to graduate with his PhD from Yale in less than four years. 

“Thankfully, Yale was very generous with my father,” John says. “But I can understand the struggle of immigrants to this country, as no one really wants to leave their homeland.”

In an excerpt from Juozas Kazickas’s gripping autobiography, entitled “Odyssey of Hope”, he recalled the memory of being accepted to Yale, harboring the realization that this educational experience would provide him with unlimited opportunities. “This success marked the fate of the rest of my life,” he wrote. “A prestigious University offered even more than an excellent education. I understood that social status was also important in the United States. And I knew that forming advantageous acquaintanceships could lead to many opportunities.” It was this fundamental knowledge of social currency and educational experience that would create a lasting impression on Mr. Kazickas, to the extent that he would later go on to facilitate exceptional educational opportunities for young Lithuanians of all economic backgrounds. 

“After my father got his doctorate in economics, he went on to teach a little bit,” John told ASSIST. “He then got into the coal business with a friend to export coal to Europe, and also Japan—which was great business. And in doing this, he traveled the world and met a lot of influential people.”

The Kazickas Foundation and ASSIST

“We were elated when the Soviet Union collapsed, my father was in Lithuania with my sister when it happened,” John Kazickas said. “He did so much in helping Lithuania be recognized as an independent state, including being able to get many companies like Coca-Cola to invest in Lithuania.”

A few years after Lithuania was liberated from more than 50 years of Soviet occupation, the legacy of high-achievement and the philanthropic efforts of Juozas Kazickas birthed a new organization. Yearning to further improve the lives of their fellow Lithuanians, Mr. Kazickas and his family established The Kazickas Family Foundation in 1998. 

The foundation’s areas of focus for grant-giving include arts and culture, social welfare, technology, and medicine—but educational opportunities have been central to the organization's mission and programming from its inception, according to John Kazickas.  

“We always knew education was important,” he emphasized. “Looking at a young country like Lithuania and looking at how Soviet rule brainwashed society and the youth, we knew we wanted to develop the young generation through things like ASSIST. The future of Lithuania was dependent on coming out of Soviet rule, working towards a better country for everyone.”

Since 1992, ASSIST has been providing scholarships for Lithuanian students to study in the United States. In 2003, The Kazickas Family Foundation formed an official partnership with ASSIST, committing to supporting its mission to provide exceptional education opportunities to international students. 

“I think there are so many exceptional people on the board [of ASSIST], and many come from the education field,” John Kazickas said.  “They have been instrumental in selecting the finest students from Lithuania.  But most importantly, I want those scholars to bring back what they’ve learned during their year abroad to benefit others in their generation .”

The Next Generation of Lithuanians

ASSIST alum Egle Blekaityte was sponsored by The Kazickas Family Foundation to attend The Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts for the 2004-2005 school year. She’s a former brand manager for L’Oreal Lithuania and has more recently established her own business, a women’s empowerment and mentoring brand called Now Be You. Her introduction to the possibility of studying in the United States was through her English teacher.

“I was a very eager child wanting to try everything,” she mentioned. “I never believed I could end up in the US. I was always in all the clubs, music school, theater, dance. I wanted to do as much as possible and I was also a good student. The biggest impact was my English teacher, my school received the information and presented it to us, and said if anyone wants to apply they can. And I did! My goal was to really connect with the kids around me. I’m very outgoing, and I was naturally drawn to the different perspectives and stories.”

For Egle, the personal enrichment of living away from home as a young person goes beyond a stellar education. “It was one of the key milestones in my life,” she said. “I highly recommend it to anyone with the opportunity to do so. It was a transformational experience. In addition to an education, you learn practical skills. How to ask for help, and money, and directions. These are life lessons for a child that help you live independently.” 

The Kazickas Foundation gives $30,000 annually to cover the cost of three students’ travel, including the cost of airfare, insurance, activity fees, and personal expenses through ASSIST. Take a look here, for more information on the Kazickas family and the foundation’s initiatives.