Dr. Asta Balkute is a Vilnius International School principal whose life story is a powerful case study in cultural proficiency. Born and raised in Soviet-occupied Lithuania, her patriotic upbringing and the euphoria of her country’s independence ignited a passion for social change and civic education. This led her to pursue a PhD in social studies education in the United States, focusing on civic identity and education in Lithuania.

After a decade in the U.S., Asta returned to Lithuania with a global perspective. Her journey back to her homeland was a complex, two-way street of cultural growth and reflection. As a university professor and later in public administration leadership, she honed her skills in navigating complex cultural and identity matters. Now, as the upper school principal, Asta draws on her personal history from her Soviet-era childhood to her return back home to deepen her own intercultural competence and explore how key life events shape our worldviews and pedagogical professional knowledge. This self-awareness, sparked by a pivotal conversation with Eqball Haseem, the creator of the conceptual continuum, serves as a significant driver for her work and inspires her to delve deeper into the tangled relationship between personal history and professional practice.

In this session, she invites you to reflect on your own journey, asking you to join an authentic conversation: How have your life's key events shaped your approach to cultural understanding, and where do you and your students stand on the Cultural Proficiency Continuum today? Moreover, how do you create space for your students to move within the continuum of cultural proficiency?