My name is Anna, and I was born and raised in Ukraine.

I spent my early childhood in Kharkiv - east of Ukraine and near Poltava - where my grandparents live. When I turned six, and it was time for me to go to school, my family and I moved to Kyiv, where I then spent the next 11 years of my life completing my secondary education.


COVID came when I was finishing school and turned 17, and then moved to the UK to do the Foundation year in Finance in Warwick. COVID greatly impacted my first year in the UK, as I was constantly going back home to Ukraine and studying remotely online, as the situation with the pandemic was better in Ukraine. Luckily, it did not significantly impact my grades, and I could meet my requirements and return to Warwick in 2021 to study for a BSc in Accounting and Finance.

However, it was not long before the horrible full-scale war started on the 24th of February 2022 when everything changed. I became closer with the Ukrainian students on campus, and we spent days monitoring the news, reaching out to our family and friends in Ukraine and figuring out what would happen next. The UK gave great support to all the Ukrainians fleeing the war, so being away from home here was a bit less challenging.



It is now almost two years since the war started. A lot has changed since then, and each person has had different experiences and losses with the war. But everyone is still full of hope for the future, for the victory and prosperity of Ukraine. Every day, we are grateful for our army, which has been shielding Ukraine for the past two years and continues doing so, and our volunteers, who continuously help the military and refugees.

I am grateful to be able to return to Kyiv, see my family there, have my mom come to the UK, and have my brother living in London, whom I can visit anytime. With the war, the perspective on the life of many people has changed, and mine now is to value every second with loved ones and live the moment to the fullest.

My plans for the future are constantly changing. There is so much unknown coming in the next year, but for now, I have decided to continue my education next year at Imperial College London, where I will be doing an MSc in Finance & Accounting, where I secured a scholarship, which I am incredibly grateful for. Finance can positively affect the world, and I strive to contribute to Ukrainian prosperity by implementing my knowledge in the financial sector in the future.