Kettering Health | Strive | Spring 2023

Kettering College He arrived at Kettering College after the fall semester had begun. But he was here at last. Daniela When Daniela Korchuk, now 18, was a young teenager, her father told her: “No matter which occupation you choose, the only thing that matters is to serve people. It’s all about God.” As a college student at the Ukrainian Institute of Arts and Sciences in Bucha, she chose to study economics but never actually saw herself in that profession. “I didn’t know how I would be able to serve people,” she says. When the invasion halted her studies, friends fleeing to western Ukraine invited Daniela and her mother to join them. At their destination, crowded into a small house with 15 people, they decided to continue west. By the time Daniela arrived at Kettering College with all the documents required to study here, her journey had taken her to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, the United States, Norway, and back to the U.S. Meanwhile, loss of electricity and other war-related circumstances have caused her family to leave their home more than once. On one occasion, her father returned to find one side of the house full of holes—shrapnel scars left from a rocket striking their neighbor’s house—and his office ransacked by the Russians who had occupied another nearby home. Life at Kettering College The students keep in touch with their families through phone calls, texts, and video calls. Although communication gets disrupted by power outages in Ukraine, most days the students receive messages saying their families are OK. All three students have settled into their new community and are adjusting to cultural differences. “Everything is different here,” says Vlad. “Roads, houses, food, public transport, cars.” As they adjust, they all believe God’s plan led them here—to safety and the opportunity to train for a career in medicine. Svitlana, especially, has no doubt. The hand of God Five years ago, long before the invasion, Svitlana was ill and asked God to show her his plan for her. That night, she dreamed about a room with a high bed. “I sat down on this high bed and read huge books in a not-native language for me,” Svitlana says, adding that she saw details “so vividly that I was able to draw them.” The dream left Svitlana with more confusion than clarity—until she arrived at Kettering College and a staff member opened the door to her dorm room. “I couldn’t breathe,” she says. From the high bed and white furniture to the mirror, wall colors, and wooden floor, “I [saw] the same room from my dream.” “As the war in Ukraine continues, we still worry about our parents,” Daniela says, “but God cares about them, and everything will be good with our families.” Svitlana adds, “I like that God can turn evil—as in war— into something good, like the opportunity for us to be here and study.” “And then,” Daniela says, “God can use us to help other people.” —Continued from page 7 Daniela MORE TO THE STORY Read about how Kettering College’s administration and staff made this happen: ketteringhealth.org/ukraine 8 ketteringhealth.org

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