Ukrainian Fulbright Scholar finds mission at MLFTC

Each year, Arizona State University hosts Fulbright scholars from around the world. This year, Olena Tanchyk was one of them.  

Tanchyk is a dean of the Faculty of Economics at Donetsk State University of Management in Mariupol, Ukraine. Her PhD is in economics, but her passion is teaching English as a second language. A former English teacher for the Ukrainian Adademy of Leadership’s Mariupol affiliate, Tanchyk’s work focuses on  developing English teaching skills for educators. 

In August, Tanchyk left all of that behind in Ukraine for an opportunity to become a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. When she arrived, her vision was clear — to conduct postdoctoral research and master methods for teaching English to students with visual and hearing impairments. After graduating this May, she planned to return to her country to empower students and other educators. 

But the Russia-Ukraine war intervened.

The day she spoke about her MLFTC experience, shells had fallen on her home in Mariupol and she had spent hours calling to see if her parents were still alive. 

“There is no way I can go back right now,” says Tanchyk. “It is too dangerous.” 

Despite the uncertainty of Tanchyk’s future, the visiting scholar was certain that coming to MLFTC was the right thing to do.

“It is such a vibrant atmosphere; it energizes me,” she says. “ASU has, of course, helped me to understand the American education system. Everything is so special here.”

Surrounded by support

Tanchyk was especially touched and surprised by the community that MLFTC quickly created for her. She was surrounded by a circle of support from the start. Iveta Silova, professor and associate dean of Global Engagement, and Kathleen Puckett, associate professor and special education coordinator at MLFTC, were her advisors and part of that circle. 

“When I arrived on campus, I really felt that I belonged,” she says. “I was already part of a system, part of a community. Here you are not going to be left behind.” 

Tanchyk says all of the professors at MLFTC made her feel supported. “How can you not be successful here?”

Tanchyk had dreamed of studying in the U.S. for many years. She eyed ASU for a long time and even participated in an online class prior to coming. When current Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska initiated the National Strategy for a Barrier-Free Environment in Ukraine and made inclusivity for students with disabilities a priority, Tanchyk was determined to do all she could to support that initiative. ASU was the perfect place to prepare her for that.

First, she narrowed the focus of her research to students with low-vision disabilities while expanding her efforts to encompass the process of inclusivity for the disabled population. 

Then she went to work.

Quick study

Recognizing that the U.S. and ASU were years ahead of Ukraine in both physical and academic accessibility for disabled students, Tanchyk studied programs and services available through ASU Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services. She learned everything she could about adaptive technology for low-vision students to streamline their studies. She also began to learn Braille.

She examined low-vision disabilities from diverse perspectives, including disability law, the cultural politics of disability, family perspectives and research methods in disability studies. She created theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches and adapted them to the Ukrainian context.

“Olena has certainly embraced her role as a Fulbright scholar at MLFTC,” says advisor Puckett. “During her research here, she is taking examples from what she is learning and understanding back to her own colleagues, holding virtual seminars with Ukrainian educators using the theme, ‘until every barrier falls.’ ” 

But it was not just the academic side of her studies that was important. Tanchyk also absorbed ideas about the dynamics of relationships among students and faculty within the college setting. She observed their warm and personal connection and plans to explore that approach back in Ukraine. 

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Tanchyk became distracted. She spent her days doing research, but at night she threw herself into helping her students, friends and family in Ukraine in any way she could.

“People are living without basic necessities. They are melting snow to use for drinking water,” she explains. “People have no food or water. They are being looted. Women are being raped and all of their belongings are taken. People are being illegally sent to Russia. It is so hard to realize that this is really happening.”

Her dual focus is difficult. But Tanchyk maintains her commitment to her mission to gain as much knowledge as possible about teaching English as a second language to different learners and one day help facilitate a transition towards a fully inclusive education system in her country.

“Education is key. We have to develop ourselves and gain the maximum experience so that when we win the war, we can go back and help. This knowledge will be an asset. So even when we want to cry we can’t. It is not the time to put our heads down. If we are here as part of our destiny, then we need to be determined to reach our goal and get the maximum experience for our county.”

Learn more about visiting scholars at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.