“How is your family in Ukraine doing?”
This is the question people most often ask graduate students Arsen Martyshchuk and Nina Klimenkova, who arrived at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga last month for the fall semester.
Martyshchuk and Klimenkova are starting their respective master’s programs as the first recipients of the UTC Global Response Assistantship, having made their way from their respective hometowns to Chattanooga with help from UTC, the U.S. State Department and several other organizations, including the Ukrainian government.
“These students have been through a lot, but they’re dedicated not only to rebuilding their country after the war but also being campus ambassadors,” says Takeo Suzuki, executive director of the UTC Global Center for Education. “They’ll learn a lot in their graduate programs, but our campus community will most certainly learn more from them.”
The UTC program will equip the students for the vast reconstruction necessary in their devastated home country, Suzuki says.
Martyshchuk, 23, is pursuing a master of public administration degree in the Department of Political Science and Public Service.
He plans to return to his hometown after earning his degree and work in local government.
“My goal is to work hard and then return to Ukraine and make things better,” he says, “if things go well and the war is over.”
Klimenkova, 21, is pursuing a Master of Science in computer science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
“It’s hard to predict the future now, but helping to rebuild the country is what I would like to do,” she says.
The program – one of only a few graduate programs for Ukrainian students in the U.S. and the only one in Tennessee – provides tuition, room and board and a $600 monthly stipend for the students, both of whose families are still in war-torn Ukraine.
So when people ask how their families are doing, it strikes them as kind, but it’s also a tough question to answer.
They both speak with their families every day, typically in the morning because of the seven-hour time difference. But safety is precarious and relative for most Ukrainians since the Russian invasion in late February.
“They’re excited I’m here,” says Martyshchuk, who’s from a rural village near the border of Poland that has not seen much violence. “They’re a little sad, but they knew I wanted it, so they’re happy for me.”
It’s a little harder for Klimenkova, whose hometown near the port city of Odessa has been ravaged during the war, but her parents are still proud and supportive.
“Since the war started, I realized just how strong my family is, and this has made us stronger because it’s a really difficult time,” she says. “It’s not safe in the south of Ukraine. There are constant air attacks but they’re doing OK. They support me in every decision.”
Born and raised in a rural Hutsul village in western Ukraine, Martyshchuk earned his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts in the capital of Kyiv. He fled the city when the Russian bombardment began Feb. 24 and headed back to his hometown.
“It was hard emotionally and mentally, but I can’t complain because my region is relatively safe. I’ve seen only a few rocket attacks.
“My family and I have helped Romanian and European partners with the humanitarian aid coming into the country since we’re in a border region.
“My grandfather is the only man in my family to carry a gun. Even at 60, he’s physically stronger than me. It’s safe, but that’s relative. Anything can happen at any second.”
Born in Odessa, a port city on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine, Klimenkova moved to the small town of Voznesensk at the age of 7. She earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Taras Shevchenko National University in the capital Kyiv. She was living there when Russia invaded Ukraine.
“I was in Kyiv on Feb. 24 and the first missile fell 800 meters from our house. It was 5 a.m. and I will never forget that terrifying sound. The next day, my relatives and I decided to leave Kyiv because Russian troops started to besiege the city.
“Under constant threats of aerial attacks, we went to a small town in the south of Ukraine where my grandparents live. Unfortunately, in a week’s time, the Russian occupants pushed forward and attacked this town also. The fights took place right on my street and we were forced to sit in the basement for two days. The bridges were blown up and my area was cut off from the city center.
“Thanks to our brave authorities and army forces, the enemy lost their position and got a fierce rebuff. However, looting is still a problem and civilian targets are attacked to this day, although on a lower scale.”
Source: UTC