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Dunn School student from Ukraine hopes her family can join her someday in America KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS“I have a lot of pride in my nation right now. I am really proud to be Ukrainian right now,” said Zlata Mitchell, a Ukrainian student attending Dunn School in Los Olivos.
Zlata Mitchell has never seen a country as strong as her homeland: Ukraine.
The student, who stressed she’s proud to be a Ukrainian, attends Dunn School, a boarding school in Los Olivos, where she’s a half a world away from the Russian invasion.
“I really love Ukraine even though I am only half Ukrainian,” the high school sophomore told the News-Press last week. “I prefer Ukraine because it is my home.
COURTESY PHOTOZlata Mitchell said her career goals have been influenced by the work of her mother, Ukrainian journalist and TV host Olia Freimut. Zlata would like to create movies dealing with social justice and political topics.“Growing up in Ukraine, I have never seen a nation stronger and more humane, and I have traveled a lot,” she said.
Ukraine has been an independent democracy since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Ukraine was the first of 10 republics to secede.
In 2014, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.
Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained defiant as he leads the resistance against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion and seeks help from European countries and the U.S.
“I am really proud of our president,” Zlata said.
She noted it’s a scary time for Ukraine, but added, “How the people have been fighting back is incredible. It’s crazy how the Ukrainian nation is helping themselves. Ukraine is fighting for their independence. We have been doing amazingly.
“I have a lot of pride in my nation right now. I am really proud to be Ukrainian right now,” she said, noting Ukrainians have a lot of hope in their leaders.
Zlata, whose mother is Ukrainian journalist and TV host Olia Freimut, talked about her family in Ukraine. “Thankfully, everyone was able to evacuate.
“My aunt, little cousin and grandma had to go the refugee route, by driving to the west of Ukraine and crossing the border into Poland,” she said. “Traffic is horrible, and you have to go around Russian troops.
“Male family members cannot leave by law,” she said, referring to the Ukrainian requirement that all men ages 18-60 participate in the fight against the Russian troops. “I am really worried about my male family members.”
Zlata expressed gratitude for the freedom and opportunities she enjoyed while growing up in Ukraine. She added that she liked how her country evolved, especially in terms of culture and the film industry.
Sent to America by her mother, Zlata arrived in Santa Barbara County in August 2021 to attend Dunn School.
After the Russian invasion started, the Los Olivos school established the Emergency Ukrainian Scholarship Fund for the school’s Ukrainian students.
The fund supports current students from Ukraine and aims to bring additional displaced Ukrainian students to the U.S. to attend Dunn School. The goal is to raise $240,000, which would cover three full international scholarships for a full academic year, including tuition, room and boarding, incidentals such as school supplies, living expenses and homestay support during school breaks.
“I am very excited to see more Ukrainian students coming in, and this is a great opportunity to escape to safety in a time of war,” Zlata said.“This program is a big step, and it shows that they (Dunn School) care.”
Zlata said she likes the school’s academic program, especially in the humanities subjects such as English history. She said her current favorite subject is world history, but added that next year, she can attend another history class of her choice.
“The environment here is really professional,” she said. “They really make sure you succeed and spend a lot of time and effort, especially with a student who is struggling.”
Los Olivos, a rural town in the Santa Ynez Valley, is different from the big cities where Zlata was raised.
“I grew up in Kyiv and also lived in London, but here it is a smaller community life, where everyone knows everyone,” Zlata said.
In Ukraine and in America, Zlata’s career goals have been influenced by her mom’s work as a Ukrainian journalist.
“I have always wanted to live in or close to L.A. because of my mom’s work,” Zlata said. “I have been raised on film sets, and now I would like to be a film director or film producer. I still feel connected to L.A. even though it is a little bit farther from Santa Barbara.
Zlata said she would like to stay in America and hopes to attend UCLA.
She loves creative endeavors.
“I like the idea of seeing something in your head and seeing it come together,” Zlata said. “I want to be able to bring social justice issues and political topics into film. That is one of my main life goals.”
Zlata has hopes that one day her family can join her in America. “I would love for them to come here, but I want to give them more time. It would be wonderful if we could reunite in one country.”
If you would like to donate to the school’s fund and make the dreams of others Ukrainians like Zlata come true, go to www.dunnschool.org/ukraine or call the school’s office of philanthropy at 805-686-0627.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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