Ukrainian UNT doctoral student set to receive her degree this weekend
DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - When Tetyana Kucher walks the stage this weekend to receive her doctorate degree, her thoughts will be on her family and her home country of Ukraine.
"I'm just incredibly proud to even call myself a Ukrainian. Even though I'm so far away I try to do what I can," said Kucher days before her graduation.
Kucher has been in the United States nearly a decade. Since 2018, she's been at the University of North Texas in Denton working on her doctorate in learning technology. As she was about to present and defend her dissertation, Russia invaded her home country.
"For 3 weeks since the war started on February 24th, I was completely useless as a student, as a worker, as just a human being," Kucher reflected.
Her parents and brother now found the country they were living in at war with neighboring Russia.
"Talking to them every day knowing there was no immediate danger, that they are not under direct attack, that helped me," said a relieved Kucher.
When Kucher's mother decided to evacuate Ukraine, one of Tetyana's teachers, who has a network of family and friends in neighboring Poland, stepped in.
"I'm totally honored that I could help," said Regina Kaplan-Rakowski, lecturer in the College of Information at the University of North Texas.
And that gave Kucher's mother a safe place from the war.
According to Kaplan-Rakowski, "We were so, so relieved to see when they got to the home."
"It's incredible the kindness I've seen in her and I've seen in many people from Poland and other countries," said Kucher.
She was able to refocus and finished her schoolwork in time. Now, it's time to graduate.
"Especially now that the times are hard and so much sadness is happening, maybe this could be one of the small positive things that would happen that I can put a smile on their face and make them proud. That would make me very happy," proclaimed Kucher.
