the differeNce A YeAr cAN mAke:

Lastyear at this time, Dana Krukovska was playing Jenga with her friends in Kakhovka, Ukraine, and seeking a photographer for the school prom. While “trying to continue living a normal life,” she was also “feeling really, really anxious” as more and more Russian troops were being sent closer to the Ukrainian borders.

When the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022, Maksym Polianskyi was attending a Junior Leadership Academy in Kyiv. He and his classmates were moved to a different region for safety reasons, while in another area of the capital of Ukraine, Oleksandra Bibik became accustomed to nightly air raids during the first few weeks of the war.

Dmytro Solomianiuk, from Lviv in the western part of Ukraine and near the border of Poland, was finishing his studies while also organizing humanitarian missions for the refugees who started streaming into the region.

A year later, the four Ukrainians have experienced the harmful effects of war during Russia’s fullscale invasion of their country, hardships that most Americans cannot even imagine. Yet they have endured and overcome, and are now welcoming the opportunity to further their education at Ashland University.

The first members of an inspiring new initiative—the Ukrainian Freedom Scholar program— arrived on the AU campus in January, each with not much more than a suitcase of clothes and a few personal items. The program, implemented in collaboration with the Ukrainian Global University (UGU), provides full four-year scholarships to select students from Ukraine who were displaced or unable to enroll in higher education institutions in their home country.

Spearheading the program has been Olga Monacell, assistant professor of communication studies and director of AU’s graduate program in strategic communication and leadership. “The entire higher education system in Ukraine was affected just like every other industry and sector. And so, a group of scholars from different Ukrainian universities called all academics from around the world asking to support Ukrainian scholars and students,” she said.

For Monacell, it was personal. She was born and raised in the Odesa region of Ukraine and still has some extended family and friends there. When the war started, she reached out to them and donated money to humanitarian charities, but she desired to do more. “I felt the connection, you know, this was my homeland being attacked and at war, and I felt like I needed to do something about it,” she said.

When Monacell learned of the UGU’s call out, she started putting the wheels in motion at AU. With significant backing from the Ashbrook Center, the admissions office and other colleagues across campus, it wasn’t long before she and Rich Policz, associate director of student programs at Ashbrook, were interviewing applicants. Bibik, Krukovska, Polianskyi and Solomianiuk quickly rose to the top of the list. The university plans to welcome a fifth student this fall.

While the students underwent an identical application and interview process and share the same Ukrainian culture, they each joined the Ashland community under vastly different circumstances and felt differently about studying in the United States.

For the eager and outgoing Polianskyi, who is from Odesa, a major seaport in the southern region of Ukraine, it had been a goal of his to go overseas as an exchange student, but he “never dreamt of studying in the U.S. for four years at a university.”

Bibik, on the other hand, decided to take advantage of an unexpected offer and escape the continual air raids. “I honestly never thought about studying in the U.S. before the war. This opportunity was really sudden and spontaneous for me,” remarked the focused and soft-spoken Kyiv native.

Solomianiuk, four years older than his compatriots, is completing a degree online at a Ukrainian university and working virtually for the Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. His future plans, though, were uncertain. “I (had) been thinking I need to go somewhere. I need to change my qualification (major) in Ukraine. The war… was the push I needed,” the contemplative 21-year old said. “I was a bit

(scared) of the U.S. … too far away. But, I’m here. That’s also a very, very big step for me.”

Krukovska faced the harshest path to AU. She and her immediate family left their home in April, hiding for 19 days without communication as they cleared their phones so they could not be tracked. Eventually, they passed Russian check points during a daring escape from Kakhovka, which continues to be occupied by

Russian forces as of this writing. Like Polianskyi, she had wanted to study abroad as an exchange student previously and is now getting the chance to. “I tried UGU and I finally got success and I’m so happy that I’m here and able to study here,” she said reflectively.

The Ukrainian students have adapted to their new environment remarkably well, excelling academically, participating in class and various events put on by Campus Activities Board and volunteering with AU G.I.V.S. They don’t appear to be different than any other AU student eating at Convo.

But the group acknowledges there was a significant culture shock. Adjusting to the U.S. measurement system, the casual dress and less formal environment in classrooms, the different mentality of Americans, the lack of public transportation in Ashland (all four come from metropolitan areas) and even the size of drinks at fast food restaurants have been some of the hurdles along the way. “I have not experienced so many culture shocks in my life as I did here in a couple of weeks,” said Polianskyi, while Solomaniuk wisely added, “It’s a completely new society … it’s a bit difficult to connect with others. I think it takes 3-6 months to get used to a new environment, to assimilate.”

Of course, living on the other side of the world from their loved ones who are in a warzone is the biggest challenge. Helping overcome that homesickness is Monacell, who goes above and beyond to make her fellow Ukrainians feel comfortable. Whether it’s welcoming them for pancake breakfasts at her house on the weekend, driving them around to take care of errands or just reaching out and listening, she offers unlimited care and support to them. Bibik sweetly said “she kind of feels like a grandmother to all of us,” and Krukovska appreciates her selfless giving. “She’s really, really supportive. When we try to give her something in return, she says ‘you will thank me later when (you’re) rich and famous.’”

As for the immediate future, they are finishing off their first semester in the U.S. while trying to land summer internships in their respective areas of interest, something else that Monacell is assisting with. They are hopeful their parents can visit, or in Solomaniuk’s case reconnect with his parents in Europe, and also to do some traveling in the United States.

Long-term goals are to complete their AU degrees and take what they learn back home to help their beloved Ukraine. “After the war, Ukraine will have to be rebuilt,” noted Monacell. “And these are the young people who will have to do it.”

Polianskyi feels he owes it to his country to take his studies very seriously, planning to do a double major in international political studies and communication with a possible minor in cybersecurity. “I have here a big responsibility because not only do I want to be an excellent student, but also to represent the Ukrainian culture … to provide this idea that Ukraine actually exists. That’s my challenge for four years,” he said.

Bibik is also starting toward a double major, with her focus on political economy and psychology. What that interesting combination of disciplines may lead to she doesn’t know at this point, but she will apply it back home. “All of Ukraine is united and we sympathize with each other,” she emphasized. “I really miss it.”

Solomaniuk, majoring in international business with a minor in political science, is building a strong résumé with his humanitarian aid and his work with the Junior Academy of Sciences for Ukraine. One day, he “gathered 2,000 kilos of aid for the refugees in the Kyiv region” and he raised money to support the Ukrainian army, while also preparing students for online Olympiads and competitions.

Krukovska is preparing for a journalism career. A double major in journalism and digital media and communication with a minor in political science, she has already visited a Cleveland area TV station and hopes to land an internship to gain valuable experience. Someday she hopes to highlight the great stories of her home country, commenting “I love people there, I love our language, our history, our culture. It’s something really unique and important. And I just want to save our culture, and I want future generations to grow in (a) beautiful and developed Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian students’ life calling can wait, though. They are simply trying to feel less overwhelmed after all they’ve been through this past year and to focus in on their educational opportunity. They are truly thankful for AU, the Ashbrook Center and all who have contributed to this point.

Bibik said, “All the people here are really kind to us. They try to make us feel comfortable and they’re really friendly and try to enroll us in different activities. They’re really open-minded about everything and really support our country,” then Polianskyi chimed in, “Even though we may not show it, genuinely, we are really grateful. Maybe we express it differently.”

After a day of classes and another long interview about her amazing journey, Krukovska’s emotions overcame her. As her voice trailed off, she said “I just can’t find the words to express how grateful I am.”

Hugh Howard Media Relations | Social Media Manager

Ashland University offered full scholarships to five high school graduates from Ukraine who were displaced or unable to enroll in higher education institutions in their home country due to the Russia-Ukraine war. The first four recipients of this inspiring new initiative – the Ukrainian Freedom Scholar program – began their undergraduate studies at Ashland in January 2023.

Launched in June 2022 by a small group of faculty and staff from AU and the Ashbrook Center, the Ukrainian Freedom Scholar initiative provides four years of financial assistance at about $40,000 per year to select students who had successfully passed college admission exams in Ukraine, demonstrated English language proficiency and met other enrollment criteria specified by AU. This funding includes scholarships offered by the Ashbrook Center, as well as AU merit scholarships and other sources.

AU’s Ukrainian Freedom Scholar program has been implemented in collaboration with colleagues from the Ukrainian Global University, a partnership of the world’s leading universities offering academic support to Ukrainians affected by the war.

Ashland’s office of advancement is hoping to raise additional funding to support this transformative program. For more information, go to: givecampus.com/schools/AshlandUniversity/ ukrainian-freedom-scholar-program/.