Tanya Kotelnykova (ISHR ’23) was fourteen years old when Russian-backed separatists occupied Horlivka, her hometown in Eastern Ukraine. She was torn away from her family and has been displaced since. Listen to her story:

Tanya is grateful to everyone who helped her along the journey to Columbia. She would particularly like to thank Zhanna Nemtsova, founder of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation, Gergana Halpern, Professor Jacqueline Dugard, and Anna Vyshniakova.

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor to a Ukrainian student, please visit Tanya’s mentorship program, MentorUkraine, here.

This episode was written and produced by Masha Udensiva-Brenner with editorial feedback from Nathan Schiller and Mark Andryczyk.

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