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Scholar Stories: Olha Popova

Shortly after she and her mother emigrated to the U.S. from their home in the Ukraine, Olha Popova met Dr. Iouri Melnik, a physician specializing in low-cost care for immigrants in Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood. She was so struck by his compassion for his patients and his community—and by his passionate involvement in Ukrainian politics, culminating in the mobilization of thousands of immigrant voters in that country's controversial 2004 election—that she wrote an essay nominating Dr. Melnik in the inaugural Lincolnland Legends contest, sponsored by the AXA Foundation and presented by Illinois Dollars for Scholars.

Part of Olha's essay explained that Dr. Melnik's influence had inspired her to look toward a career in politics and international business. After winning this statewide competition with this contribution, Olha's now poised to do just that, with the help of a $25,000 scholarship that she plans to use to attend the University of Chicago.

"This scholarship is very important for me now for financial reasons, but also [because] I know the people who donated money for this scholarship have faith in me and believe that I am going to make it to the top, and I will be successful," she said. "Receiving this scholarship has also encouraged me to work to the same high level as the businessmen who donated … so that when I own a business in the future, I too can help students like myself go to college."

For now, Olha is focused not only on her senior year at Elmwood Park High School, but on her work managing a Web community of politically-minded teens, volunteering at the New Immigrants of Chicago and singing in Ukiezone, a band that combines rock and traditional Ukrainian music.

"I have eliminated a part of the possibility that between tuition, housing, books and the high cost of today's college education, I will plunge deep into debt that may take years to pay back," she said. "Receiving this scholarship has also given me a future educational benefit—it has saved me time that I can use for an educational internship that will give me a head start in my future career…and I will reward everyone for their kindness soon when I will be on my feet, independently in the business world.

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