Alumni Spotlight

Darya Tsymbalyuk graduated from UWC Adriatic in 2009. She is an interdisciplinary scholar and artist working at the intersection of environmental humanities, artistic research, and decolonial methodologies. After her time at UWC, she earned her PhD from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she was awarded the Principal’s Medal for exceptional academic and civic achievement. Her doctoral research, Multispecies Ruptures: Stories of Displacement and Human-Plant Relations from Donbas, explored the intertwined stories of people and plants displaced by war.

Her publications and creative projects examine the environmental and human costs of conflict in Ukraine. She is the author of the forthcoming Ecocide in Ukraine: The Environmental Cost of Russia’s War (Polity, 2025), co-editor of Limits of Collaboration: Art, Ethics, and Donbas (2022), and creator of participatory works such as Donbas Odyssey and the animation Displaced Garden. Darya has held fellowships at the Institute of Advanced Study in London, the IWM Vienna, and St Antony’s College, University of Oxford. In 2024, she joined the University of Chicago as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures, with an affiliation to the Committee on Environment, Geography, and Urbanization.

Her contributions have been recognised with awards including the Principal’s Medal from St Andrews and the 2023 Mary Zirin Prize from the Association for Women in Slavic Studies. Combining feminist and decolonial perspectives, Darya’s work brings urgent attention to Ukraine’s ecological and cultural survival through both scholarship and art.

Dana graduated from UWC Adriatic in Italy in 2005. Her favorite memory from college is attending student parties on a farm in neighboring Slovenia. After graduation, Dana received a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy from King’s College London and an Executive MBA from Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

She is the owner and former CEO of Osnovy Publishing, served as the CEO of the United For Ukraine foundation, and currently is the Strategic Advisor at Tokarev Foundation Ukraine, helping shape philanthropic projects.

“For twelve years, I managed my own publishing business in Ukraine. After the war started, I decided to change my field and work with big social challenges in my home country since I have always been passionate about changing the world for the better. I was lucky to get connected with the United For Ukraine foundation, which was founded by Nina Levchuk and Olha Khamama, who have been living in Europe for a while. Our most important project is a platform that assists Ukrainian refugees. Since February, it’s been helping people find temporary housing, legal and informational aid, and access mental health providers. This is a colossal achievement, but we have no plans to slow down. We are already working to join the development of the vision for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Anna graduated from Pearson College UWC in Canada. After college, she continued her academic career at Maastricht University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Economics. During her second year at university, she studied abroad in Taiwan. Anna interned at the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, as well as the UN University, worked as a Sustainable Development Strategy Coordinator at Maastricht University, as a Junior Economist at the Center for Economic Strategy in Kyiv, taught social science for undergraduate students, and worked on several consulting projects. Right after graduating from Pearson College, Anna joined the Ukrainian National Committee, where she worked as a Head of PR and Partnerships, Vice Head of the National Committee, and, eventually, as the Head of the National Committee.

Anna obtained her master’s degree in Public Policy from Oxford University in the United Kingdom. After graduation, she joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a leading investment institution in Ukraine and many countries in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Northern Africa. Anna worked as a specialist in the energy sector of the climate department, coordinating projects in the area of just transition of coal regions, development of added value in the energy supply chain, and climate investment projects ranging from Morocco to Mongolia. Later, she became the Adviser to the President of EBRD. Anna also joined the World Economic Forum as an Impact Officer in the London-based Global Shapers hub.

“10 years ago, when I was graduating from my Ukrainian school, not many people in Cherkasy heard about volunteering, self-governance, and social impact projects. During the UWC selection, I met a lot of like-minded people from all over the country and understood just how much I wanted to join the movement. When I got my acceptance call and heard that I was going to Canada, I was speechless… UWC fostered an interest in climate work in me. It was at that point that I understood that happiness comes from serving society.

During the Revolution of Dignity, I talked to my classmates and the wider Canadian community about the events in Ukraine. During those times, I understood that being a Ukrainian is an important part of my identity. The two years in college were the most formative in my entire life, but they were only the beginning.

After February 24, our chat with Ukrainian UWC alumni was exploding with messages about projects, donations, and helping others. For me, this is a sign that our movement is moving in the right direction. Every year during the selection interviews, I get reassured that our country has a bright future. Our youth every day impress the world with their activism, desire to learn, and their love for Ukraine. From our side, we just try our best to support those young people.”

Olena graduated from Pearson College UWC in Canada in 1996. Then, she enrolled in the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and graduated in 2001. She is currently a member of the advisory committee of the Ukrainian National Committee and also works in the field of art and culture.

Olena created the “Dolonky” (Palms) harmonious development program for preschoolers, as well as an original music-sensory development course, “Zabavlyanky ta Spivanky z Rosavoyu” (Playful Rhymes and Songs with Rosava). She has recorded five music albums as Rosava, including two for children. She has developed a number of concepts for educational and cultural events. Among her recently implemented projects, she, together with her husband and FILM.UA company, realized the “Spadok” (Back to Basics) project dedicated to Ukrainian women’s traditional attire, traditions, and folk customs.

“UWC is a movement that stays with me forever. After graduating from college and entering university, I repeatedly participated in student selections, and from 2003, I headed the UWC committee and managed its day-to-day operations. Together with Ostap Malaniuk (UWC Atlantic), we organized and conducted selections and alumni gatherings. Now I am proud that the participants of the competition whom I selected have become a powerful team, a force, and a support for the committee today, in its development, promotion, and creation of opportunities for talented youth in Ukraine.”

“It’s about the TOK room and your roommate from Swaziland who prays for you in moments of difficulty and despair. It’s not just about two years of study. It’s about the people with whom you can create the world, because your relationships are already formed on specific values. It’s about relationships, and even 20 years later, when there’s war in Ukraine, people call and write to you from the closest and farthest corners of the world and tell you that you have a home, from Canada to Japan.”

Vladyslav is an alumnus of UWC Costa Rica (2006-2008). After earning his International Baccalaureate, he pursued economics at Wheaton College in Massachusetts (2008–2012), including a stint at Boston University’s London program in 2010. With a firm grounding in economic principles and a global outlook fortified at UWC, Vladyslav was poised to shape both business and community.

Following the Russian occupation of Crimea, Vladyslav made a pivotal decision to return to Ukraine. He joined MGID, the global native advertising leader, and has since risen to become Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. Over more than nine years, he has led an 80‑person global team, driving publisher-side strategies, market expansion across Europe, Latin America, and APAC, and forging key media partnerships worldwide. Under his leadership, MGID’s publisher base multiplied tenfold—a testament to his strategic foresight and commitment to scalable growth.

But Vladyslav’s impact goes far beyond business. When the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022, he channeled his leadership into pressing humanitarian needs. Leveraging his blog and YouTube presence as “Metal Pilgrim,” celebrated in the heavy‑metal community by tens of thousands of fans, he founded the Steel Wings Foundation to support frontline humanitarian and military efforts in Ukraine. Through this initiative, Vladyslav coordinates the delivery of vital equipment — generators, Starlink terminals, bullet‑proof vests, drones, and ambulances — to war‑torn frontline towns, newly liberated regions, and medical teams. His international experiences allowed him to rapidly mobilize international support, rallying audiences in the U.S., U.K., and beyond — and often raising needed funds within hours.

Vladyslav’s path from UWC Costa Rica to global tech leadership and wartime humanitarianism is a powerful reminder of how education, empathy, and entrepreneurship can combine to make a difference. At MGID, he reshaped digital media landscapes; through Steel Wings, he saves lives and uplifts communities. Vladyslav exemplifies the UWC mission: using education as a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for a sustainable future. His efforts highlight a profound legacy: leveraging skills, networks, and passion to serve others. For alumni and students alike, his story is a beacon, proving that with vision and courage, individual action can echo across borders and battlelines, creating hope and tangible change.

Iryna graduated from UWC-USA in 2009. She then pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Mathematics from Clark University in the United States. During her third year, she studied at the London School of Economics. After two years of work experience as an analyst in a financial consulting company in Boston, Iryna continued her studies at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, receiving a Master’s degree in Finance.

Iryna is currently a Vice President of Institutional Credit Management within Citibank’s Strategy and execution team. She is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Iryna also served as the Head of Fundraising at UWC Ukraine, successfully managing our organization’s finances and donor relations.

“At the age of 18, for the very first time, I boarded a plane, crossed the ocean, and saw the red desert of New Mexico. I arrived at the UWC-USA campus wanting to be a good representation for Ukraine, determined not to waste the opportunity I was given. I remember exiting the car and seeing a whole crowd of students who met me with smiles and hugs, telling me how excited they were to finally meet me (I arrived two days late). Things were happening around me, I was already led somewhere, someone was carrying my suitcase, and I was just smiling and thinking that things were better than I expected them to be. I still had some challenges, like the language barrier and the realization that the 6 IB subjects are actually harder than the 14 subjects in my Ukrainian school. And yet, I really enjoyed the sense of belonging, support, and a weirdly different feeling of family warmth and joy from the moments created by all these young, energetic, bright people with such diverse life stories and values.

All these memories: sleepless nights, concerts, historical and political discussions, breathtaking adventures — always make me smile and appreciate UWC-USA and the Ukrainian National Committee. 

When I was graduating from UWC, I thought that everything was about to end. I had no idea what life would bring me. But as it turns out, my connections with friends did not disappear. I still meet UWC people in Boston, Washington, and London. Without UWC, I would not be able to get into Clark University, and without Clark, I would never be able to study and live in downtown London, receiving packages with Ukrainian chocolate from my family. Finally, without this experience and all the kind people I’ve met and learned from, I would not be able to get into Cambridge and learn about the global cooperation and partnerships which are essential to personal and career growth.”