With all that is going on in Ukraine, when people come to the US for refuge, the hardships they have to face even when they get here tend to be overlooked. Read about senior Anna Klybanivska’s journey, who moved when she was 16, in August of 2023. 

    A new country, a new language, and hundreds of new faces everyday. New social settings, friend groups that have been built up for years, a new education system. These are things that senior Anna Klybanivska has had to adjust to since moving here from Ukraine. 

    Klybanivska first came with only her mom. “I had my sister over here for 10 years, so we had a place to move to. And after that, we won a green card, and we just completely moved here,” said Klybanivska. 

    Klybanivska and her family made the move primarily because of the dangerous conditions they were faced with in Ukraine. “Since the first day I heard shooting. I heard the bombing situation, because on the first day, like, all the airports were bombed in all of Ukraine, I heard shooting close to my house. So it was even dangerous to go outside in the backyard,” said Klybanivska.

     When asked about how they came to the decision to move, Klybanivska said, “even though I was in a kind of safe region, it still was so dangerous that we decided to move. Since we had family over here, it was easier.”

    Having first arrived in the US, Klybanivska noted that everything was very different. “Pretty much everything [is different]. Common life, how people act, even how the houses are built. It’s like another universe.”

    It’s one thing to have to adjust to a new culture and environment, but the striking difference in the social aspect of things has also been difficult to get used to for Klybanivska. 

        “People here know each other from, like, middle school and elementary school, they know each other from classes. Then here I am, I don’t know anything about the school system and how things work,” said Klybanivska. “It’s really hard to like, get into a group of people and find friends. Also just to find out more about school when you don’t know anything about it to begin with.” 

    Klybanivska began to socialize through a club she’s in, the International Speakers Helping Others Club. “I’ve only gone once, but it was a good chance to socialize and everyone was nice.” 

    All in all, getting accustomed to school life hasn’t been without its difficulties for Klybanivska, but she continues to remain positive. “Everything here is much nicer than in Ukraine, and I am grateful to have been able to come here.”