From War to Welcome: Mariia Yeni’s Journey and the Lasting Impact of a Harrisburg Academy Education

 

When Russian tanks crossed into Ukraine in February 2022, the world shifted—especially for the children and families forced to flee. At Harrisburg Academy, students immediately organized supply drives, filling boxes with everyday essentials to send overseas. Their compassion sparked another question: What more could the Academy do?

 

That question led to a bold decision. With the Board’s support, Harrisburg Academy offered a full scholarship to a Ukrainian student displaced by the war—an opportunity to continue high school in a safe, supportive environment, while maintaining access to an internationally recognized curriculum through the Academy’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme.

 

Through connections with local Ukrainian and Greek Orthodox communities, the school met Mariia Yeni, a bright, soft-spoken teenager newly arrived in the United States. She had strong academic skills, an impressive chess background, and a quiet determination that would soon reveal itself as something extraordinary.

 

Over the next four years, Mariia would not only grow, but thrive—transforming her future and elevating the Academy community around her.

 

 

Now a first-year Mechanical Engineering major at Elizabethtown College, Mariia speaks confidently about how prepared she feels for college academics.

 

“Physics has been almost the same as what I learned at Harrisburg Academy,” she said. “I was extremely well prepared.”

 

Her IB coursework, especially HL Mathematics, gave her a foundation she calls “one of the biggest advantages” in her transition to engineering. Even though her HL Math course was primarily online, she found it invaluable for the coursework she currently studies.

 

But the impact of her IB education goes far beyond content knowledge.

 

“I learned how to study at the Academy. I don’t feel scared of missing a class or worried I’ll fall behind. I know how to learn things on my own, how to research, and how to study. That’s been incredibly helpful.”

 

These skills have empowered her to excel—she’s earning strong grades, adapting confidently to college expectations, and already charting an accelerated path. Thanks to her IB credits, Mariia is on track to finish her bachelor’s degree in just three years, followed by a required three-year training program for engineers. A master’s degree is also on her radar.

 

 

When Mariia first arrived at Harrisburg Academy, English was challenging and her confidence, subdued.

 

“I was introverted when I came to the U.S.,” she recalled. “The Academy was so embracing… it really changed me. I built the confidence I have now because everyone was so supportive.”

 

That confidence took root across many areas:

 

 

She also found joy in new interests—painting, tennis, community engagement—discovering passions she continues today.

 

“Try everything you can,” she advises future international scholarship students. “Find what you really like and go after it.”

 

 

The war in Ukraine weighs heavily on Mariia, and questions about returning home are complicated.

 

“It’s hard to answer,” she said quietly. “The war seems never-ending.”

 

Yet her gratitude to the Academy remains clear and unwavering.

 

“The Academy is better than any school I’ve been to, academically. A lot of my college courses are things I already studied here. And the Academy was so welcoming… especially when my English was still developing.”

 

She believes public school would not have provided the environment she needed.

 

“This was the best thing I could’ve done for myself, education-wise.”

 

Mariia also credits the Academy’s College Counseling Office—especially Mrs. Gordon—for guiding her through the entire U.S. college admissions process.

 

“She helped me with everything—essays, applications, financial aid. I probably stopped in her office ten times a day,” she laughed. “But she always helped.”

 

 

While Harrisburg Academy offered Mariia opportunity and stability during a time of unimaginable upheaval, the Academy community emphasizes that the impact flowed both ways.

 

Her leadership, compassion, and determination strengthened student life, athletics, arts, and scholarship. She showed younger students what resilience looks like. She gave the community an example of courage, optimism, and hard work in the face of adversity.

 

What began as an act of support for a displaced student became a four-year journey of mutual growth—one that continues as Mariia returns this year to receive her bilingual International Baccalaureate Diploma.

 

Mariia’s journey affirms the Academy’s belief that when students are supported, challenged, and truly seen, they discover not only academic success, but also the confidence to chart their own future.