War From Afar: From the Ukraine, But Studying Here

22Apr
by Bianca Quintero

Currently there are more than 1,700 students from the Ukraine attending school in the United States. Despite the distance between themselves and their country, the impact has been no less horrific. An article from USA Today features student Marta Hulievska: 

“Despite being thousands of miles away from the shelling in Ukraine, Marta Hulievska gets anxious when she hears loud sounds. The freshman at Dartmouth College is often thinking about her family who fled the Russian military, her dad who remains in their hometown, and when she’ll be able to return home. 

She’s afraid to go to sleep and miss news about her family.

‘You kind of enter like this alternative world where you’re not in America and you’re not in Ukraine, you’re like somewhere in between,’ she said, describing her experience as ‘second-hand PTSD.’

‘And this just affects your mental health a lot.’

Hulievska is one of hundreds of Ukrainian students living in the United States and anxiously awaiting news about friends and family who remain there amid the invasion. Many are balancing studying abroad with organizing on campus to raise awareness about the war. Unsure if they’ll be able to return to Ukraine when their programs end, many are trying to find ways to stay in the country longer.”

Hopefully our country can offer amnesty to these students and not build walls – real or metaphorically to separate them from the safety and support they need. #WeStandWithUkraine.

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Bianca Quintero

Bianca is a grad student from the SFV with an interest in pursuing a career in law and environmental science. She is passionate about creating a pettier, kinder, and more equitable world. She is also passionate about enjoying her time at the beach, reading a good book, and finding cute things at the thrift store.

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