Coping with the Changes

two high-schoolers adjust to their new school and new life in America.

Thrive Center Stories: Alina and Michael

by Nara Shin

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​​High school students and Ukrainian refugees Alina and Michael are staying in the Thrive Center in Spokane, WA, where they call their new home. 

Alina is 14 and moved to the United States from Mariupol, Ukraine, in April 2022 and has been staying at Thrive Center since July. 15-year-old Michael is from Kyiv, Ukraine, and came to Spokane in November 2022. Alina and Michael met while staying at Thrive Center and now attend Lewis and Clark High School as freshmen. Today, we talked with them to learn about their stories and how they are adjusting to a new life at the Thrive Center and school.

Alina and Michael; high school students at Lewis and Clark High School and residents at Thrive Center.

How did you first decide to leave Ukraine? 

Alina: I have my relatives here, and they invited me and my family to come here. 

Michael: I have a family who lives in Sandpoint, ID, and I came here because they live close to here, and there is a place where a lot of Ukrainian people live. 

How’s school life for you? 

Alina: I like English and Geography classes the most because I like the teachers. 

Michael: I love math and PE class. I especially like playing basketball. 

Alina: I don’t enjoy PE class much. Michael runs a half mile for 3 minutes, but I take so long, and I hate it. I am not a sporty girl. 

How is American-school life different from the life you had in Ukraine?

Alina: I think my Biology class is so hard. I learned science in the Ukrainian language, and the sizes of words are different, too. My teacher who helps me with my English tries to help me a lot, but it is too difficult for me. I also think American friends at school are more introverted than my friends back home, so it is hard for me to make friends. 

Michael: Learning English is difficult. 

What do you like about the United States? 

Alina: I think here America has more opportunities for students like scholarships. My friends have a hard time getting scholarships back in Ukraine, but here I have more opportunities. 

Michael: People smile a lot. They make me feel good and happy. I think it’s a good thing. 

What do you hope people understand about the situation in Ukraine?

Alina: A lot of people at my school know that I am from Ukraine. At least I hope they know at this point. But some people asked me, “Does your dad fight in the war?” when he does not. When my friends think of Ukraine, they only think of wars. We do have other good cultures, food, and people too. I hope they know other things about Ukraine, too. 

What kinds of stereotypes do you face from your friends? 

Alina: In America, people smile a lot. In Ukraine, we don’t. You don’t smile at strangers. I mean, why? I tried hard to smile hard as people here do, but still, people think that we, Ukrainian people, are not friendly but cold. So, they don’t come and talk to me because they think I don’t smile much. Sometimes, I feel lonely at school and miss my friends back in Ukraine. Just because I don’t smile doesn’t mean I’m not a friendly person!

What do you hope for in the future?

Michael: I want to go to college. I don’t know what to study yet, but I like science-related subjects. Also, I love animals. I have done bow hunting when I was in Ukraine. I don’t know whether I can hunt here, but I would love to try hunting in nature around Spokane. 

Alina: I have a lot of dreams. For now, I don’t know what I will be in the future. I want to be an architect, but I have to do the math to be an architect, so I don’t know whether I can be one. But I also want to be a lawyer because I like arguing. I am interested in graphic design as well.

Coping with the changes of a new life at Thrive Center, Alina and Michael have experienced both difficulties and happiness in their journeys in America. Nevertheless, they find joy and positive energy from their friend groups and grow every day. 

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