3 million Ukrainian refugees flee to safety. 250,000 Ukrainian soldiers fight for their lives and their beloved nation. One Ukrainian-American girl watches across the Pacific Ocean, waiting for news of her family, protesting for the rights of her people.

Who is she? Junior Sofia Kovalenko.

“My mom is from Morshyn, my dad is from Starokonstantiniv. I was born in Virginia,” Kovalenko said.

Following in the footsteps of her mother Liliya Kovalenko—President of the Ukrainian Association of Washington—Sofia has been involved in the promotion of Ukrainian heritage from a young age. 

“Watching my mom go interview to interview, seeing pictures of her meetings with the senator or the governor, I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for her,” Kovalenko said.

When we interviewed Kovalenko about her unique perspective concerning Russia’s sudden invasion of Ukraine, this is what she had to say:

“I believe that war is not only an inevitable part of human development but also a necessary one. At the same time, it is a terrible thing,” Kovalenko said. “The only thing I can say about this war is that I don’t like it. My family members are dying. My mom’s former classmates and their kids—kids that I used to visit in my childhood—are in constant danger. Many people my age, whom I used to play hopscotch with, have joined the frontlines. Most of them have died.”

Although many of us have watched the Russo-Ukrainian conflict with passive sympathy, horror, and maybe even a bit of fascination, for Kovalenko, February 24, 2022 was a day of absolute agony. 

“It is a scary thing to wake up to the news that the town where my grandparents live is getting bombed. It is even scarier to hear that my grandpa has joined a local militia and gone off to fight while my grandma refuses to leave her apartment and go to a bomb shelter,” Kovalenko said. “The neighborhood my parents used to live in before they moved to the U.S.—what would have been my neighborhood—has gotten bombed with the survivers shot up. This would have been us. “

Now at Liberty, Kovalenko sees her heritage as an opportunity to increase awareness and support for her family’s ancestral nation, especially in the midst of the devastating Russo-Ukrainian War. 

“I’m proud of everyone that has joined the frontlines. I wish that there was anything I could do that is comparable to their service,“ Kovalenko said. “To anyone here who wants to help: come to rallies, donate, contact your local representatives. Honestly, just checking in with people and expressing your support is a lot though.”