Meet Maria Schevchenko: 2023 Graduate, Romania (from Ukraine)

“No one leaves their country by choice”. For Maria, she loved her life in the Ukraine. Her wonderful family was nearby as she raised her two beautiful girls. Life was great, and then the attacks from Russia moved in and life as she knew it came to a screeching halt. As the rockets began to get close enough to not only be felt but seen, Maria knew she needed to get her daughters to safety. She packed what she could into a small backpack and migrated to Romania with her two girls, leaving behind her home, extended family and friends. Every day she calls and checks in on her family to make sure they are ok. She is in Romania, but her heart is in Ukraine.

Maria heard about Eagle Online Academy from a friend. While she is able to speak some English, she enrolled herself into Eagle’s English class as well as their job readiness program. Her teacher Donald has been an incredible cheerleader and help as she embarks on this new journey. Maria hopes to be able to land a job where she can work remotely and help more Ukrainians with English interpretation or teaching, or even as a project assistant. Eagle Online Academy has given her the ability to study, even as a refugee in another country, and for that she is so grateful.