In August 2021, Mia proudly took her oath as a United States citizen — the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. After fleeing Ukraine in search of safety and opportunity, she built a new life in Miami as a beloved art teacher. For over ten years, Mia has lived here legally and peacefully, with no criminal record of any kind. Like many new citizens, she is still learning the fine details of American driving laws.

In early 2025, a city bus rear-ended Mia’s car. Shaken and unsure of the exact rules, she waited at the scene for a long time but eventually followed bad advice from friends and left to go to work, planning to report everything later that day. Unfortunately, this honest mistake led to criminal charges for leaving the scene of an accident. Mia has never been in any trouble before. She is a teacher who pours her heart into her students and creating art. Appearing in court with a criminal charge — even one stemming from confusion, not intent — could damage her reputation and jeopardize the career she has worked so hard to build.

We are raising funds to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney and cover any other legal fees that arise from Mia’s case. Your support means everything to a new American who only wants to keep contributing to her community and living with dignity. Thank you in advance for helping Mia keep her record clean and her reputation intact so she can continue teaching art to children. She became a citizen to build a better life — let’s help her protect it.