Dom Bartkus: Gervase Programs: Learning to Lead

Dom Bartkus was born and raised in Kaunas, Lithuania. He is an International Economics major in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. Dom is also pursuing the Russian & East European Studies certificate.

Personal experience has shaped Dom’s interest in economics, especially in economic transition and growth. When he was born, Lithuania was still a part of the Soviet Union. After regaining their independence in 1990, Lithuania had to go through a challenging economic, political, cultural transition, which is still affecting the daily life of many Lithuanians. After Dom and his family moved to the United States in 2001, the transition in Lithuania began taking a promising pathway. On multiple visits to his native country, Dom has witnessed numerous positive changes. This inspired him to pursue an undergraduate study in the fields of International Economics.

Dom joined the John Carroll Fellows Initiative in the fall of 2007 as a transfer student from DePaul University. Dom is very satisfied with the decision to come to the Hilltop because he finally feels being challenged to excel in academics.

In his spare time, Dom likes to read, play basketball, and spend time with his friends. When the time allows, he likes to escape from the city and spend some time in nature. During the summer of 2008, Dom plans to advance his knowledge in economic transitions by conducting a research on the Lithuanian economy of the last decade.