Ilya

My name is Ilya and I am from Zaporizhzhya, a large industrial city located on the Dnieper River in Ukraine. My mother divorced when I was two years old and I don’t have a relationship with my father. Thankfully, my grandfather and uncle stood in the gap and have served as father figures throughout my life. My mother remarried and I now have a much younger little sister. I grew up in a large family with my grandparents and extended family and have always known I am loved by them.

In high school, I was invited to Quest (club). I spent the semester going to club and though I was invited to winter camp along with all of my new friends, my parents did not let me go. I was very upset and decided that nothing would stop me from going to summer camp. It was there that I heard the full story about the love of Jesus and committed my life to following Him. After camp, I joined the team and now as a leader, I grow closer to Him and communicate with Him every day. My family does not believe in God, and though we are close, they do not understand my faith and this sphere of my life.

I love to travel and would love to work as a travel agent with the prospect of one day creating my own business. It brings me joy to think about working in this field and hope that with a degree in international economics, I will offer a unique skill set and perspective as I build tourism in my community. With the help of the Developing Global Leaders scholarship, I am attending the Zaporizhzhia Institute of Economics and Informational Technologies. As a DGL student, I want to excel in my studies and be a faithful Young Life leader in my community.