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| Luba Shalya of IRCO addresses Slavic community members and leaders at Network Cafe Northwest while organizers look on. MEMO PHOTO: TIM CURRAN |
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Raising good kids is her first priority. She expects all of her children to work hard, be helpful, useful members of the community and to make good choices. She believes education is essential and will make their futures easier.
Luba leads by example. Her first job in this country was as a janitor, but she knew she wanted to work in an office and help people. She was also a volunteer at Lutheran Family Services where she honed her language skills and became more familiar with our culture. Fourteen years later she has her goal. She is a job coach at IRCO helping to guide new arrivals in their search for the American dream and is currently enrolled at Portland Community College, or PCC, with a goal of eventually earning a Bachelors Degree through the Marylhurst University Prior Learning degree program.
The Shalya children now range in age from 22 to 6. Oldest daughter Natalie is married and works at a café at the Airport.
Tanya, 21, also lives on her own now and works for the Bank of America.
Elena, who Luba refers to as her miracle child because she survived a serious accident last October, is 18. A MAX train struck her while she was hurrying to catch a train to school that was approaching on the opposite side of the platform. She is recovering nicely. Elena attended Parkrose High School for a while, until it was decided that home schooling would be a better option for her. She is now enrolled in a GED program at PCC that also allows her to accumulate college credits.
Seventeen year-old Alex is described as being emotionally settled, mature and polite. Once enrolled at Parkrose Middle School, he too opted for home schooling and the PCC-GED program. He would like to return to Ukraine as a missionary.
Kristina is 15 and a freshman at Parkrose High School. She likes school, is active in her church, sings in a choir and has lots of friends.
Andrei, the first to be born in America, and therefore a U.S. citizen, is quiet and shy. At 14, he is an eighth grader at Parkrose Middle School.
Artem, 12, is interested in art and piano. He is a sixth grader at Parkrose Middle School.
Nadia, 11, is in Mr. Evans’ fifth grade class at Russell Academy. An usher in her church, she is described as an active, loveable child who likes being surrounded by friends.
Joanna, now 6, taught herself numbers and letters and was reading by age 4. She is a first grader at Russell Academy.
Important to them in Ukraine, their church here has served as a focal point. The New Beginnings Christian Center, 7600 N.E. Glisan St., provides emotional and spiritual support as well as a social outlet for the whole family.
Immigrants and immigration is here to stay. It has affected the Pacific Northwest directly for decades now. Not all immigrants have had, or have it easy. Most immigrants want the same things as you and me; freedom, justice, opportunity and community. Nearly all of us are here as a result of immigration at some time in the past.
This family is better for having come here.
We are better as a community for them being here.
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