In September 2021, 15-year-old Iryna Petrovitska made a life-changing decision.

She left her home country of Ukraine and traveled more than 5,000 miles to the United States, trading life in the bustling city of Kyiv for the high-Alpine environment of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

Now, after two-and-a-half years of attending The Peak School, an independent middle and high school in Summit County that focuses on both traditional and specialized classes, Petrovitska is preparing for graduation — and her next adventure.

“Ukraine is my home, my heart,” Petrovitska said. “But the United States is my future.”

Coming to the U.S. had been Petrovitska’s dream for years. With friends of her family living in Summit County and her uncle willing to pay for her education abroad, Petrovitska saw her opportunity to make that dream a reality in the fall of 2021. But as excited as she was when she arrived, life in the U.S. was a challenge.

Petrovitska struggled with language barriers even though she had been learning to speak English since the age of 5. She missed her friends and family back home. Her accent at times made her feel “like a misfit.”

Petrovitska said she became more reclusive during her first few months abroad, a departure from her normally talkative and goofy self. Still, she knew she couldn’t give up. She tried to focus on what she had to be thankful for — a family to live with and a fully-paid educational opportunity at The Peak School.

But after about six months of living in Summit County, Petrovitska’s world changed again. On Feb. 24, 2022, Petrovitska saw an email from her teacher informing her that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had begun. She remembers not knowing how to feel.

“I was just standing there, in my room, trying to process it,” she said.

When she texted her family members that day asking if they were safe, it was 3 a.m. in Ukraine. No one responded for hours, and Petrovitska had to force herself to sleep while she waited to hear back. She was relieved to see a reply the next morning.

Petrovitska continued to stay in communication with her family as much as possible as the war dragged on. Her teachers let her leave class to talk with them whenever she needed to, Petrovitska said.

Her family has since left Ukraine with her mother currently living in Germany and her uncle and grandmother in Switzerland. Petrovitska said she can breathe easier knowing they’re safe. Despite the tumult of the war, Petrovitska said the event has made her feel closer to her family — and even prouder of where she comes from.

“War gave us stronger connections between us — made us more bold and more brave and knowing what we want,” she said. “It kind of woke us up.”

A community’s call to action

In Summit County, community members rallied to Petrovitska’s support.

With the war shuttering businesses and wreaking havoc on Ukraine’s economy, Petrovitska’s uncle was no longer able to pay for her school tuition. Steven Craig, a Peak School teacher and admissions official, said it meant Petrovitska’s future at the school was uncertain.

“It was clear that this was a kid who wanted to learn and grow and take advantage of any education opportunity that was in front of her,” Craig said. “And so, when we asked her if she wanted to say she said, ‘Absolutely.'”

Peak School launched an online fundraiser to gather whatever financial aid they could to pay for Petrovitska’s living expenses and school supplies and ultimately covered her tuition for her remaining years.

In that time, Craig said Petrovitska has excelled as a student, “Flourishing in every single class she has taken.” But she’s also become a mentor and a support system for others, as well.

When she’s not in class, Petrovitska will tutor science, one of her favorite subjects, to younger Peak School students. Amid the backdrop of war in her home country, she comes to school with high spirits and love for life.

“Iryna — without ever having to be asked — had a full grasp of how she could, in-turn, be an unbelievable support for the younger students in our school,” Craig said. “Her experience has been so uplifting to so many people — not just at Peak but around our community.”

After her family friend was no longer able to house Petrovitska six months into her arrival in the U.S., a neighbor in Blue River agreed to host her for the remainder of her time in Summit.

Sarah Thorsteinson, who knew Petrovitska through her two daughters, who also attended Peak School, has housed international students in the past. But hosting Petrovitska felt more like family.

Thorsteinson described Petrovitska as “lots of fun, lots of energy, lots of laughter” and incredibly enthusiastic about living in America. When it comes to picking cheese, Petrovitska opts for American. During a recent trip to the grocery store, Petrovitska picked up a red, white and blue ice cream, Thorsteinson said.

“She’s more American than some Americans,” Thorsteinson said. “She has a love and respect for it that we don’t always have on a daily basis.”

But Petrovitska hasn’t let go of her Ukrainian roots. During her time with the Thorsteinsons, she’s taught them Ukrainian words and cooked borscht, a traditional Ukrainian dish made from meat or bone stock and sautéed vegetables. Petrovitska likes to make green borscht, a less-common version of the meal.

For Thorsteinson, offering a space for international students presents an opportunity to learn more about the world.

“I’m a strong advocate for getting to know other cultures and recognizing that the world doesn’t revolve around Summit County, Colorado or the United States even,” she said.

Through the work of the Rotary Club of Summit County, Petrovitska has been connected with other international students. For the past two years, she’s taken part in the Rotary Club’s ski weekend at Copper Mountain Resort, a program sponsored by Copper every January that provides three days of free mountain access for international exchange students.

“She was able to meet others coming from all over the world, and that’s a good experience for those exchange students,” said Rotary Club member Don Sather, adding that Petrovitska is “experiencing life here in the U.S. with activities she probably would never have had the opportunity to participate in in Ukraine.”

Rotary Club members also helped fund an opportunity for Petrovitska’s mother to visit her in Summit County last spring, guiding them on a High Country tour that included views from Loveland Pass and coffee in Idaho Springs.

Those efforts have helped make Petrovitska feel more at home in Summit County, Sather said, and in-turn helped the community feel closer to Ukraine at a pivotal time.

“It was a good way for the community to be exposed to Ukraine in a unique way — first hand,” he said. “There’s sadness and there’s happiness to all of that story.”

As Petrovitska looks to her next opportunities post-high school, Sather’s advice is: “Leave all the doors open and continue to explore.”

‘Life is about learning’

For Petrovitska, change has led to growth.

With the community at her side, Petrovitska has been able to build new relationships and foster passions she didn’t even know she had.

Last fall, Petrovitska launched a book club at the South Branch Library in Breckenridge where, once a month, she and other students would meet and discuss their reads.

Library technician Shane Taylor said Petrovitska, who also worked as a childrens’ program facilitator at the library over the past two summers, has been able to build new opportunities for people her age.

Outside of ordering the books for the group and proofreading questions Petrovitska plans to ask at each meeting, Taylor said he has a hands-off role with the club. It’s the first to be led by someone so young in the three years he’s worked at the library.

Petrovitska “always asks questions that are really topical but also pertinent to the book,” Taylor said. “By asking those questions and offering a space for her peers to talk about them, (she) really makes people who come to her club feel safe.”

Petrovitska said starting the club “helped me to find something I lost when I got here,” adding it helped her rediscover being social and laughing with others.

Also that fall, Petrovitska joined the Summit Youth Hockey girls team and became a goalie, something she feels she was “born for.”

“I played sports as a kid, but never really a team sport,” she said. “So, (this) was my first time joining a team. I was nervous of how they would welcome me because I had zero skills … but they were so supportive. They felt like a family.”

Through challenges and triumph, both experiences have helped Petrovitska reclaim her confidence.

“At the end of the day, with book club and hockey, yes, I failed so many times, but I would laugh at it and move on,” she said. “And we improve from that. It truly became a medicine.”

Petrovitska has also seen her growth through her time at Peak School, where she’s overperformed academically and bolstered her English language skills, all with the help of caring and patient teachers, she said.

And having her own locker — a uniquely American experience — has been an added perk.

As she looks to her high school graduation, Petrovitska is preparing to pursue a degree in biological sciences with a minor in journalism at Drexel University in Philadelphia where she also hopes to continue playing hockey.

Those who’ve been part of Petrovitska’s journey in the U.S. say she’ll continue to chart her own path.

“When we get outside of our comfort zone is when we grow the most as human beings,” said Craig, the Peak School teacher and admissions officials.

“Iryna had the courage to travel thousands and thousands of miles away to grow and enrich herself through a better education,” he continued. “She took that gamble on herself and boy has it paid off. I hope that all of us can see all of the opportunities that are in front of us and have the courage that Iryna had.”

For Petrovitska, the message she wants all international students to know is simple: don’t give up on your dreams.

“Of course, life is not about only ‘Ups,'” she said. “If they move here, they shouldn’t be scared of new adventures … because life is about learning.”

Published on SummitDaily.com.