Key Points:
• Seventeen students visited Metro Atlanta as a respite from war-torn Ukraine in December.
• Each teen had lost at least one parent in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Seventeen Ukrainian teenagers left their war-torn country behind for a short healing visit to metro Atlanta.
Each of the teens lost at least one parent. Global Alliance for Ukraine brought the teens to the U.S. to provide a break for children from war-affected areas in Ukraine. Roman Chukhvitsky, president and founder of the nonprofit organization, said it was the 11th group to visit since the program began in 2023.
The teens attended an Atlanta Hawks game and visited the World of Coca-Cola Museum and the Georgia Aquarium. They spent time at the Sparkle Sandy Springs celebration, skating, drinking hot chocolate, and watching the parade. On the third week of their visit, they attended a camp with a group of professional psychologists who helped counseled them.
Lisa Semelit, a 15-year-old tenth-grade student, lost her father on Feb. 19, 2024. Oleksandr Semelit died from injuries he suffered near Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region, a week shy of his 41st birthday. He had joined the volunteer Territorial Defense Forces on Feb. 28, 2022, six days after the war began. He was the commander of an engineering and sapper unit when he died.
Lisa said it’s hard to talk about her father.
“Every day I want to see him, to hug him, to talk to him, but I cannot do it,” she said through tears.
Lisa also misses her mother, who is at home, while her brother is attending a university in Kyiv.
Lisa said that in Ukraine, they hear drones and rockets in the sky every day. When raids occur, the family has to evacuate to the basement.
Students spend the day in their school’s basement, which is old and noisy.
The local city’s administration called her mother to offer Lisa the opportunity to take part in the program and visit the United States. She said it was like a dream as she always wanted to visit another country.
“When I first arrived here, I was scared, because it’s, it’s a huge country. It’s really different from Ukraine. It’s like another life being here,” Lisa said.
Lisa said she was grateful to her host family. Her host dad, Alex Czecko, said they took Lisa to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN, during the first week of the trip. That week was set aside for the students to decompress and learn about America from host families. She said it has been the best three weeks of her life.
Her visit was filled with firsts. Lisa ice skated for the first time in her life at the Sandy Springs rink.
She plans to move to the United States to study design.
The first group of 70 kids in the Global Alliance for Ukraine program came from Slaviansk visited in August 2023. Subsequent groups included 28 kids, with trips to Philadelphia, Seattle, and Cleveland. The program partners with local churches and involves American host families to provide cultural exposure.
The initiative has received support from local businesses and organizations. The Fulton County GOP provided laptops and gifts for each student. People like Bill Creekmuir, president and CEO of Pinnacle Search of Sandy Springs, helped connect the nonprofit to businesses, churches, and other organizations that took the kids on trips. Chukhvitsky said those contacts included Adam Juszynski, vice president and general manager, Global Coca-Cola Relationship, and Chris Burnett, economic development director for Sandy Springs.