On June 22, Access Mykolayiv Team had a meeting with Oleksandr Tereshchenko, an extraordinary person, veteran, Donetsk airport defender, cyborg, public figure, social activist, charity foundation leader, journalist and writer, People’s Hero of Ukraine, Open World international exchange in the USA alumnus.
Oleksandr was badly injured and lost his arms when he was defending Donetsk airport but he didn’t lose his passion to life. From 2019-2021 he served as deputy minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine. Now, he works as the chief of the Department for Veterans Affairs, Mykolayiv City Council and is fighting for Ukraine as a social activist and volunteering leader in the international arena.
Access students couldn’t stop asking questions as they wanted to know Mr. Tereshchenko’s opinion on various issues including the future of our country and the youth role in it, how to set life goals, respond to challenges and never stop growing.
A huge part of the meeting was devoted to discussing Oleksandr Tereshchenko’s visit to the United States when as an Open World international exchange alumnus he presented to the U.S. Congress his work and perspectives on supporting veterans and persons with disabilities. He highly appreciated this opportunity to strengthen ties between Ukrainian and American public policy leaders by sharing best practices and insights in their fields. Another reason for our admiration was our hero’s participation in the 44th United States Marine Corps Marathon in 2019.
We will never forget the words of wisdom from our guest:
- When the soul is unmoved, degradation kicks in.
- Life makes sense until we are ready to accept challenges.
- If you managed to change the world for the better even by a micron, your efforts are not in vain.
Such meetings are an inexhaustible source of emotional support and inspiration for future Ukrainian leaders.
Photo by Unsplash
