When Valeriia Perez-Kolshelska talks to her family in Ukraine, she is never sure if it will be the last time. Her young nieces tell her about bombings and ask their mother why the Russians hate them so much. They also ask whether they will die.

“Honestly, it is very hard to talk of Ukraine,” says Valeriia, a student at SUNY Empire State. “Every time I read the news, my heart aches. I cannot believe the hate, craziness, and terror acts that are coming from the Russian federation toward people who were just living their lives.”

While news about the war has slowed since it started last spring, the atrocities are continuing, and Valeriia worries because her parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and nieces are still there. “There are still people that are dying, children are misplaced, or even kidnapped and taken to Russia, the major and little businesses destroyed,” Valeriia says. “Everything my country worked so hard (to do) is getting (destroyed).”

Coming to America

Valeriia always knew that war was coming. As a teenager in 2011, she left her hometown of Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s second largest city, and went to work in a fish factory in Sitka, Alaska, in the hopes of learning English. “Right away I fell in love with this country,” she recalls. “Sure, there were a lot of things that I miss about my homeland, including my family. But the freedom and opportunity were just mind blowing.”

 A few months after returning to Ukraine, Valeriia was back in the States, this time to work at a restaurant on Lake Erie in Buffalo, N.Y. When the situation in Ukraine grew more uncertain, Perez and her friend decided to “wait it out” in the U.S.

“Ten years later, I am a wife and a mom to two beautiful boys,” Valeriia says. “My life took a turn I have not expected, but I am very happy with the outcome.” 

A New Life Unfolds

Not long after her arrival in the U.S., Valeriia met José Perez. The couple married in April 2016 and now have two boys, Jozziah, who is 6 and Alekzzander, who is 2. They live in Glenwood, NY, about an hour south of Buffalo, where they enjoy hiking, walking, and fishing and traveling to places such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York City.

While starting a family, Valeriia also began exploring her educational opportunities. After getting an associate degree in accounting from Niagara County Community College in 2021, a professor suggested she consider attending SUNY Empire State.

Valeriia liked the online format and found classes that would enable her to pursue her new interest in teaching personal finance. “This was the best fit for me,” she says. Next spring, she’ll graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business management. She hopes to one day pursue a master’s degree.

A Future in Finance

For now, Valeriia works at M&T Bank as a repossession coordinator, a job she got two years ago when she was eight months pregnant. But she dreams of a career where she can teach personal finance to young adults, especially immigrants like her.

“I knew nothing about the banking rules or the system when I moved (here),” she says. “I was scared of the credit cards and didn’t want to open a bank account. “

Valeriia worried that banks would take advantage of her language barrier and seize her money. She thought credit cards were scams and had no idea that they would help build her credit score so she could one day get a loan. She also didn’t invest in the stock market or save enough money. 

Perez wants to make sure other immigrants don’t make similar kinds of mistakes. “I want to help these people to understand everything and stand on their feet faster than I did,” she says. “I want to be the person who changes someone’s life.”