Displaced by the war in Ukraine, 18-year-old twins Mariia and Yuliia Lytvynchuk began their journey of coming to Nova Scotia back in the spring of 2022, when Mariia sent out a mass email to universities in Canada, Japan and the United States looking for support. A community-led effort by the faculty, staff, alumni, and senior administration from local Nova Scotia universities, the government and EduNova, helped the twins secure spots at post-secondary institutions in the province.
Mariia has been accepted into the faculty of arts and social sciences at Dalhousie University, and Yuliia will be attending NSCAD University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.
Arriving in mid-August, the twins will also have their food and accommodation covered by Mount Saint Vincent University during their quarantine period.
These students’ stories speak volumes about the generosity and compassion of Nova Scotians and of the power in provincial and cross-sectoral collaboration. We are stronger when community, post-secondary institutions, non-profit associations, and the government work together to support international students, specifically students displaced by war.