Hello, my family is organizing a LFEBridge page to help Anastasiia Didenko, a Ukrainian college student who started living with my family this past Christmas to continue her college studies in the US. Anastasiia will be a sophomore this year at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. The passage below is from Anastasiia on the challenges she faces at home and in the US. We appreciate any support you can provide in helping her continue her college studies. In May of 2024, I got one of the most exciting calls of my life- I got a scholarship to come and spend my senior year in the U.S. My year was going amazing, I was learning new things about American culture, sharing my heritage here and just relishing my teenage life. However, that blissful reality was altered on an ordinary Wednesday night when news of explosions in my homeland shattered my world. Ever since February 24th of 2024, my life has never been the same. And it won’t ever be. My college plans and my dreams about my future all have been taken away from me. From the first days of a full-scale invasion, I have been actively sharing the real picture of what’s going on in my country. I have done several fundraisers trying to help in every way possible. I was preparing to go to college in Czech Republic, but after numerous conversations with my parents we made the difficult decision- I should try and continue my studies in the United States. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, my family has experienced the results of this violence in every aspect of our daily lives. My father valiantly joined the Army on the second day, while my Mom and little sister sought refuge elsewhere due to our hometown's location in the Eastern part of the country where the fighting was extremely intense. It was not safe to stay. I decided that I am going to attend a college in America no matter what. But there was one little problem, the application process was done months ago, and I was late everywhere. The doors were closing right in front of me and with every email with apologies about being unable to help me my hopes were fading away more and more, I wanted to give up and go home, I didn’t believe that by this point it was possible to convince a college to give me a try. The encouragement of those around me kept my spirit afloat. One summer day everything changed. I got an email from Walsh University stating they would be happy to have me as a student and are ready to help me. I could not be more grateful for everything that they have done for me so far. Without their help and support, I would have gone home a long time ago. But I am still here, stronger than ever and ready to take upon any challenge that life has prepared for me. Right now, I am doing everything possible to keep studying. I understand how important it is for me to obtain a degree. This summer I have been working two jobs and taking as many hours as possible. I will keep working this academic year as well. But the amount of money that I need for tuition is very expensive even working multiple jobs this summer and working during the school year for the university accounting office. Unfortunately, my family faces limitations in offering financial support to me. My pursuit of knowledge is unwavering, and I will go above and beyond to persevere in my academic journey, seeking opportunities to achieve my aspirations. I am beyond grateful to all those who have helped me continue my educational journey in the United States and I hope this fundraiser will allow me to continue my journey and ultimately graduate from Walsh University. https://www.cleveland19.com/2024/03/02/every-conversation-feels-like-it-may-be-last-conversation-tuscarawas-county-ukrainian-exchange-student-shares-her-story/
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