My passion for learning and studying language started at a young age. In my first year of elementary school, I was a student in the Spanish immersion program within my public school district in Lehigh Valley, PA.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is more adaptable to change” – Often attributed to Charles Darwin
When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, Oleksandra fled to the United States to live safely with her sister, Svitlana, a long-term resident of State College. Since men were prohibited from exiting Ukraine at the time, she had to leave her husband and 32-year-old son behind.
I came to the United States from China in 2014. I had very little English in school in China. I grew up in a poor village. I came to the US with very little ability to communicate. I wanted to come to the US for a better way of life.
“You seem so invested in learning a new language and improving your ability to communicate with the local community, why is that?” I asked.
