When Kateryna Nitsenko, left her home in Voznesensk, Ukraine, to partake in a yearlong exchange program in Traverse City, Michigan, she couldn’t contain her excitement.  

  “[I was excited] because I wanted to have a great American experience, to get to know American life, traditions, people and to share Ukrainian culture and values here,” Nitsenko said. “I was also excited to start a new life with a host family and get to know their family and routine.”

  Nitsenko was looking forward to embracing school dances and games and has contributed to the schools’ musicals to explore her love for dance further. But last month, Nitsenko’s world was turned awry when Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Nitsenko is one among many students here who fear for their friends and loved ones and the future of her beloved country.

  “I have pictures of territories bombed, my friends are calling me, my mom is in a bomb shelter. My mom first texted me that if something happens to her to call my grandma or dad to try and find them because she has her money and documents and she doesn’t know what’s going to happen,” Nitsenko said. “People can’t walk out on the streets because the soldiers are everywhere. I didn’t know it would be this year, [Russian soldiers] are literally walking on the streets and killing people.”

  Nitsenko didn’t know what was happening until her friend, who is also an exchange student from Ukraine (located in New Hampshire), told her to turn on the news.

  “I was shocked. Everybody started calling me and I was checking the news every minute. I’m very stressed and worried. I just can’t live normally because at any time my best friends or my parents can die. I don’t wish this feeling on anyone,” Nitsenko said.

  Twin sisters, freshmen Nataliya and Sophia Silkovskiy have family from Ukraine that cannot leave due to their medical backgrounds as doctors. 

  “Emotionally it affects us because we don’t know if they’re going to be safe tomorrow or by the end of today what’s going to happen to them so we’re always on edge,” N. Silkovskiy said.

  Not only are these students on edge consistently, but they can’t do much for Ukraine which makes things even harder for them, until chemistry teacher Juleen Jenkins-Whall wanted to see if she could do anything to help out.

  “We were just talking and she asked if there was anything we could get, so I gave her a list. She ended up sending it to everyone she knew. They collected a lot of stuff and packed it away and it’s ready to be shipped,” N. Silkovskiy said. “It feels nice to know that she cares and she goes out of her way to ask how I’m doing or if I need extensions on anything that she understands. She also went out of her way to do the drive.”

  Although teachers are trying to spread awareness for Ukraine, some students don’t understand the seriousness of what is really happening. This refusal to understand has impacted students who are tied to the conflict and in some cases hurt them in a certain way.

  “I feel like a lot of people don’t really understand what is going on. They’re like ‘the war has been going on for 80 years’ or they’re like ‘it’s another part of the world and they’re just bombing airports and buildings’ but, it’s not just that they’re killing people. They actually bomb buildings with people and they go into people’s backyards and kill them. I don’t think the people here understand it fully and a lot of people are asking me if my family is safe and if I’m okay. Of course, I’m not okay my mom is in a bomb shelter,” Nitsenko said. “She can’t go back to her apartment for her belongings because it’s all been bombed and been destroyed and the entire life I’ve been living before has been destroyed and I don’t even know what’s going to happen to me in a month or two. I don’t know if I will be going back or staying here and going to college. I don’t know about my visa and if I will have to seek asylum. I have no idea so I don’t think people understand enough and I think they should be more conscientious. Some people make jokes here even about me and the situation but it’s not about jokes right now when there’s a possibility of my family not waking up tomorrow.

N. Silkovskiy has the same kind of feelings towards the students here and how inconsiderate they can be when they bring up or talk about the conflict.

  “I feel like it’s really disrespectful. People just use the excuse of it being a coping mechanism when it’s not funny. It’s really stupid,” N. Silkovskiy said.

  Although the U.S. seems to be doing all that they can do, Nitsenko wishes that they could do something more along with NATO than implementing sanctions.

  “I think that the U.S. government, of course, is not doing enough. I understand they can’t send troops to Ukraine and they’re trying to send weapons for the war and implement sanctions,” Nitsenko said. “I just feel like every country in the world tried to put all of these sanctions on Russia and it’s not helping because they’re still bombing and sending more troops so it’s only getting worse. I think the President and NATO could do more than just sanctions.”

  Aside from wishing the U.S. could do more, the people can. There are a couple of ways that we can help Ukraine by donating several different things. A fundraiser is being held at Bodies in Motion on Saturday March 26.

  “Ukraine needs supplies because they’re having shortages like medical supplies. Finding a way to [send] money would be the best thing to do,” N. Silkovskiy said.