Tania Kozachanska’s home district in Ukraine was bombed on Oct. 25. Even though Kozachanska, ’26, checked in with her family to ensure they were okay, the constant stress took a toll on her.
“I, as any other person from here, am exhausted from seeing the news, seeing the killings,” Kozachanska said. “But I have no other choice, because the question is my home, my future. And I see my future in Ukraine, and I want to make sure that future exists.”
Kozachanska left Ukraine during the early days of the war to start her first year at Washington and Lee University. She found solace in the Student Association for International Learning (SAIL), she said.
“There were also people who were coming from an area of conflict, who knew what I was feeling,” Kozachanska said. “Moreover, I found this platform where I could share my pain, as well as share my culture and share my identity.”
Kozachanska serves as the event coordinator for SAIL. She helped organize the Youth in the Crossfire series, which showcased how young Ukrainians are grappling with the war. The event took place from Oct. 14 to Oct. 20 and was a continuation of “Ukraine Week,” which was a similar series that Kozachanska and SAIL hosted in winter 2023.
SAIL did not host Ukraine Week during the 2023-2024 academic year because Kozachanska was studying abroad.
The year’s week of events included Ukrainian food at the Marketplace and a merchandise sale in Elrod Commons. The sale raised more than $2,000, Kozachanska said. All proceeds will be donated to Save Ukraine, an organization that helps rescue Ukrainian children who have been abducted by Russia.
Youth in the Crossfire’s main event was hosted on Oct. 19 at the Ruscio Center for Global Learning. As part of the event, Kozachanska held a Zoom call with her friends who are still in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian students talked about the similarities and differences of life since the invasion began in 2022. They taught the community what it’s like to be young in a warzone, Kozachanska said.
SAIL also displayed “Unissued Diplomas” posters in Leyburn Library, which told the stories of young people who have died in Ukraine. More than 600 people under the age of 18 have died in Ukraine since the war began, according to the United Nations.
“It’s something that is painful and hurtful, and I would like to share it,” Kozachanska said. “A lot of those people who are in those pictures are my friends.”
Kozachanska said attention to Ukraine has dwindled now that the war has entered its third year.
To combat the “limited attention span” on the subject of war, SAIL is trying to focus its programming more on the general sentiment of resisting conflicts. Kozachanska said she hopes it will appeal to and support more students from oppressed groups.
“[Youth in the Crossfire] was screaming resistance of different countries, different situations so that any student here on campus who comes from [an] oppressed nation or ethnicity, any kind of oppressed situation, can find relief,” she said.
Kozachanska says hosting the event gave her an outlet to do her part in helping her country through the war. She encourages everyone who can to donate to humanitarian organizations or help spread awareness.
