From Ukraine to Southern California, Svitlana Dyl's path to filmmaking reflects dedication and a drive to use creative arts in service of dignity and inclusion.
When a childhood health crisis put life on pause, a single film sparked something lasting for the 2025 Andrea Scott International Graduate Student scholarship: the belief that stories can restore hope and shift how we see one another.
The award committee is struck by how Svitlana Dyl advances dignity and understanding through filmmaking. These engagements mirror Andrea Scott’s involvement with arts-in-justice initiatives like the Prison Creative Arts Project. In that spirit, the committee selects her as the recipient of this year’s scholarship.
A story shaped by courage and language
When war disrupted her plans for higher education in Ukraine, Svitlana found refuge in Lithuania. While her family was dispersed across Europe, she focused on adjusting to daily life in English, stretching her speaking skills beyond grammar to engage, persuade, and collaborate across cultures. Hungry for cross-cultural experiences, she applied for a year-long exchange program in South Korea, where she seized the opportunity to design and deliver presentations in English to “raise awareness about the full-scale war in Ukraine” among students and faculty. In these sessions, she turned dense, complex content into insight that people could act on, also clarifying her calling to not just use film to entertain, but to evoke empathy.
Taking the first step with IELTS
Following the exchange year in South Korea, Svitlana trusted IELTS as her test of choice when considering her master's degree in the US. As she puts it, “IELTS helped me feel confident. It showed me I’d reached a new level, especially in how I speak and share ideas.” That validation underscores a core principle behind IELTS: to assess real-world communication through purposeful design that provides a trusted indicator of readiness.
What’s next?
Svitlana is pursuing an MFA in Film and Television Production at the University of Southern California (USC), a program chosen for its rigor, mentorship, and industry access. When institutions accept IELTS, they broaden access to high-achieving students like Svitlana who have demonstrated the ability to listen closely, speak clearly, and engage audiences with integrity. It’s the foundation for classroom participation, research collaboration, and community leadership.
About the Andrea Scott Scholarship
Andrea Scott championed opportunities for women and believed that educating international students in the U.S. could be a launchpad for knowledge that returns home to create impact. She saw IELTS as a conduit for that possibility. The Andrea Scott Scholarship honors Andrea’s legacy of a visionary higher-education policymaker who championed equity, access, and the transformative power of the arts. Each year, IELTS USA recognizes international students whose academic promise, leadership, and human-centered vision reflect these values.