During WWII, my grandfather led bombardier squadrons. He started at the very beginning of the war and stayed the course till the Nazis were completely defeated. After the war was over, he served in the military for about 15 more years until his retirement as colonel of aviation. Then, he could stay home & enjoy his well-deserved rest, but that was not how he was wired. He wanted to keep going! He went ahead & got his education in culinary arts & became… a director of a restaurant trust in Kharkiv, Ukraine. One of the restaurants he managed became a legendary place in our city. It is called “Kristall” (Crystal). Built in the 60-s, “Kristall” still opens its doors to its grateful clients in a beautiful downtown park Shevchenko.
I think I am kind of like my grandpa: I am curious & relentless in searching for new ways out through learning new things. A lifelong learner attitude is one of my most beneficial character traits. I just refuse to stop. Also, it is my main strategy to cope with hardships. In all uncertainties, I go learn new things. Back in 2009, when the World economy started to go south, I went to study. With my Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering, I decided to get a diploma in Computer Design. It came to be very handy when we had to close down our brick & mortar business of flowers & gift delivery & dive head on into an online world. The new online business we started then became a launching pad for our today’s business here in the U.S.
After securing an online business, guess what? I went to study again! This time, to an American College & then a University. As a result of my several years of study, I have tackled a new profession of Instructional Design, got three years of invaluable full-time work experience with the faculty of one of the best U.S. colleges by U.S. News & World Report, launched a new business in online learning, took several classes towards a Doctoral Degree in Education & earned a Higher Teaching Online Certificate from Harvard. I love to learn & I love to pass on to others what I have learned. That is why I started this project for new immigrants, helping them to navigate the rough waters of immigration by learning new things & aiming for new horizons. Let’s sail together!
