Hanna Ushkanova is a grade 12 student at Sardis Secondary in Chilliwack. When Hanna was 15 years old there was an invasion of her homeland of Ukraine, and she was faced with the very difficult situation of leaving for her safety. After spending some time in Greece in a refugee camp and other places in Europe, she made the decision to apply for a CUAET (Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel) visa and search for a home in Canada. As she was coming to Canada without her family that stayed behind in Ukraine, she searched for a family that would take her in and support her in her new start.

Halfway around the world, in Chilliwack, BC, 14-year-old Amelie Robertson had been searching for someone to help after the war broke out. Eventually, in late July 2022, an organization in Ottawa linked Hanna and Amelie together and arrangements began to bring Hanna to live with Amelie and her parents Gord Robertson and Julie Veer. After several bureaucratic delays, Hanna arrived in Chilliwack in late February 2023 and fit in very well with her new Canadian family who love her very much and consider her a daughter/sister.

Upon arrival in Chilliwack, Hanna immediately began schooling in grade 10 and showed tremendous promise from the first day. Even though it was in her third language, she excelled, and her marks were straight A’s. In grade 11 and 12 she has continued with a 4.0 GPA and her average is in the high 90’s with a course load of sciences, including Advanced Placement classes. Hanna is disappointed in herself if she doesn’t get 100% in these difficult courses, and it is this drive that makes her want to attend university in Canada and give back to her adoptive country by working in medicine or medical research.

Hanna applied and was accepted to many universities (McGill, University of Alberta, and University of British Columbia), but was really hoping to be able to stay close to her new Canadian family by attending UBC. The unfortunate problem that faces Hanna is that she is considered an international student at UBC and with it, the very high cost of tuition which is close to $60,000 per year. After lobbying the provincial and federal governments, as well as UBC to change this policy to allow Ukrainians to have the same tuition fees that are applied to refugees, her Canadian family is hoping to be able to support Hanna’s university with the help of other kind people. Although Hanna will likely be getting some money through scholarships, it will still be impossible for her Canadian family or her family back in Ukraine to be able to afford the high tuition fees.

For more information on Hanna’s story, please see the following article. Steep international tuition fees may prevent Ukrainian teen refugee from attending university | CBC News

My name is Corinne Blanchette. I have known Gord and Julie for over 20 years. I know that they have given so much of their own money and help to Hanna over the past two years, but with Amelie also starting university in the fall, they are in a difficult position of not being able to support Hanna fully financially in her goal to attend UBC. This has been very difficult for the family, as they see the potential of Hanna and know that she will work hard for success. I am launching this fundraiser to help Hanna to be able to afford her schooling.

All funds raised will go directly to Hanna’s tuition at UBC, or if there are insufficient funds for Hanna to be able to stay in BC with her support network, funds will go towards tuition and living expenses at the University of Alberta (where Ukrainian students are treated as domestic students in lieu of scholarships). If this fundraiser exceeds what Hanna needs to reach her goal, the money will go to another Ukrainian student who find themselves in a similar situation.

Thank you so much for your support and passing on this fundraiser.

Corinne Blanchette