Ukrainian teens start school in Minnesota – Albert Lea Tribune

Ukrainian teenagers begin college in Minnesota

Revealed 8:55 pm Friday, September 2, 2022

By Nina Moini, Minnesota Public Radio Information

Sitting side-by-side on a sofa inside a Plymouth residence, three teenagers carrying conventional embroidered Ukrainian clothes held fingers tightly — a bit nervous to be interviewed.

“Thrilling feelings,” their guardian Anna Prisacari stated. “There have been so many feelings.”

The three college students simply arrived in Minnesota and met a few weeks in the past, because of Prisacari’s want to assist these experiencing warfare maintain on to their training.

“I need to be sure that they really feel secure right here as a result of on daily basis was an unknown day for them,” Prisacari stated.

A few of Prisacari’s circle of relatives is from Ukraine. Prisacari moved to the US when she was 15 years previous.  She went on to earn her Ph.D. and now works for Amazon.

“I do know what the worth of training is,” Prisacari stated. “I got here not talking any English.”

Prisacari introduced the teenagers to Minnesota utilizing the federal program, Uniting for Ukraine, which required her to help them once they arrived. The teenagers’ households agreed to let Prisacari grow to be authorized guardian for the yr for 15-year-olds Zlata Bileha from Odessa and Dima Nyzhnyk from Lutsk. The youngest pupil within the group is 14-year-old Iryna Kononenko from Mykolaiv. 

The 2 oldest, Bileha and Nyzhnyk, are in ninth and tenth grade attending The Worldwide College of Minnesota in Eden Prairie on scholarships. The youngest, Kononenko, will go to Minnetonka Center College West for eighth grade when college begins subsequent week. 

The scholars are studying English whereas they’re attending Minnesota faculties. 

“It is rather essential and large alternative,” Nyzhnyk stated.

For all three college students, it’s also a possibility to give attention to college work, which has grow to be virtually unimaginable in Ukraine.

“You hear how rockets and bombs are simply fly,” Bileha stated. “It’s actually scary, after I simply flew to America, I’ve nightmares.”

Nyzhnyk remembers faculties being destroyed, households fleeing their properties and the noises of warfare.

“Now we have air alarms on daily basis, the entire day,” he stated. “It was very arduous.”

The scholars keep in common contact with their households in Ukraine, and Prisacari stated she is working to get psychological well being assets for them as they settle into life in Minnesota.

The group has already made some comfortable, very Minnesotan reminiscences, Prisacari stated. They went to a Twins sport, visited a good friend’s cabin and went fishing. Additionally they plan to go to the Minnesota State Honest.

“Right here, I like bacon!” Kononenko shared because the group laughed. “We don’t have bacon!”

The Minnesota Division of Human Companies stated it’s unclear what number of Ukrainian refugees from the warfare are within the state as a result of the federal authorities doesn’t alert states when Ukrainians arrive.

Nonetheless, the state estimates a minimum of 500 Ukrainians have arrived right here since March and sought state assets. The state experiences there are greater than 1,000 entry purposes filed with the identical program which introduced the three Ukrainian teenagers to Minnesota.

Whether or not the scholars return to Ukraine after the college yr relies upon largely on the scenario there at that time, Prisacari stated.

“Most dad and mom perceive college disruptions with COVID, however warfare is a unique angle,” Prisacari stated.

However residence isn’t removed from thoughts, Prisacari added. The scholars are doing their very own half to provide again whereas they’re in Minnesota by planning a fundraiser to ship water filters again residence. 

Earlier than the interview ended, the group shared it was essential for them to put on their Ukrainian clothes for his or her first American interview. 

“It’s Vyshyvanka,” Kononenko stated. “We put on it for holidays.”

“It’s essential for us, and footage that we ship for our household,” Bileha added. “We simply help that we stand with Ukraine, we’re at all times with them.”