Ukrainian Tennessee Tech student turns class project into support for home country neighbors in need
Isabella Tkachuk knows what it means to feel the weight of a world away.
Born and raised in Ukraine, the Tennessee Tech University student grew up surrounded by family, faith and a deep sense of community. In 2022, that world changed overnight when war reached her home country, forcing her family to flee and reshaping the course of her life.
“I was in the middle of my last year of school in Ukraine, and prepping for the Ukrainian equivalent of the ACT, when we awoke one morning to the news of war. Within the hour, we saw rockets fly over our home,” Tkachuk said.
After days of uncertainty and difficult decisions, Tkachuk, her mother and siblings evacuated Ukraine, spending more than 30 hours crossing borders into Romania. What followed was a new beginning in the United States — and eventually at Tennessee Tech, where her mother is an alumna.
At Tech’s College of Business, Tkachuk has found a way to connect her education with her lived experience. During the fall 2025 semester, she enrolled in Assistant Professor Jeremy Schoen’s organizational leadership class. The course requires teams to select a charitable cause, plan and execute a fundraising event, then present a final report on their efforts at the end of the semester. For Tkachuk and her group, the choice was deeply personal.
They decided to raise money and awareness for Raising Hope Ukraine, a faith-based nonprofit founded by her parents, Ruslan and Archana Tkachuk. The organization provides food, clothing, medicine and shelter to Ukrainians in need and, since the start of the war in 2022, has also supported Ukrainian soldiers and refugee families.
“The main reason they began Raising Hope Ukraine was that they wanted to bring awareness in the states of the needs in Ukraine, whether it be children, families, homelessness or a specific need for someone,” Tkachuk said.
Her classmates embraced the idea.
“They seemed excited, as it was for a greater cause, and because it was personal to me, they had confidence that it was going toward a true purpose,” she said.
The group organized a pickleball and cornhole fundraiser, choosing activities they believed would draw interest on campus. Preparation and teamwork were key, Tkachuk said.
“Everything went smoothly. We stayed on top of the deadlines and made sure to communicate everything,” she said. “Our group had no conflicts and just worked towards a shared goal: to make sure we complete the assignment as well as spread awareness to the students on campus about Raising Hope Ukraine.”
The event grossed $275 in donations, exceeding their initial goal. During the group’s final presentation, Tkachuk spoke candidly about why the cause mattered.
“I personally know what it is like to have a need on the other side of the world,” she said. “We just wanted to highlight how small actions can really create a tangible impact.”
Across all teams, students in Schoen’s class raised more than $4,000 for over a dozen charities, reinforcing the course’s emphasis on leadership through service.
“One of the cool things that I see that many of you all get out of this, is that you develop a recognition of how you can help your community,” Schoen told the class. “When you see something in your community that you think needs changing, don’t look left, don’t look right, grab a mirror.”
For Tkachuk, the project underscored a lesson she says will stay with her long after graduation.
“I learned that leadership isn’t just what you are born with or made, but something that can be learned,” she said. “It wasn’t just for an assignment, but we had the ability to do something good and spread awareness.”
She credits Tech’s welcoming campus and support system for helping her find purpose after upheaval.
“I have loved every minute at Tech,” she said. “The community and the welcoming atmosphere have made my experience amazing. I am proud to be a Golden Eagle!”
Looking ahead, Tkachuk plans to remain at Tech to pursue her MBA, with hopes of one day using her degree to work with an international company that will be part of future efforts to rebuild Ukraine – carrying forward the belief that even small actions can change lives, both close to home and across the world.